On Thursday 16/03/2006, and upon going to participate in a peaceful sit-in in front of the US Embassy in Awkar area (Beirut) after a call from the Arab Organization for Defending Detainees (AODD) and the Khiam Center to protest condemning the cruel violent act against Ahmad Saadat in Jericho Prison practiced by the Israeli authorities, the Secretary General of the Khiam Center; Mohammed Safa, Bassam Al-Kantar; the brother of the longest-held Lebanese Detainee in the Israeli Prisons Samir Al-Kantar, the ex-detainee Abbas Hammoud and Wael Yehya; a human rights activist were arrested by the Lebanese Army near the US Embassy.

The Khiam Center members were handcuffed, insulted and had their mobiles taken from them.

The press, media and the people participating in the sit-in demanded the release of the KRC members who were only practicing their right to protest peacefully in a country which respect democracy and freedom of expression.

The Khiam Center demanded an investigation in what happened and called all the Human Rights Activists to make an action to protect the freedom of expression and democracy.

The Khiam Center had further actions concerning what took place on Thursday 16/03/2006.

N.B.: To read briefs from the newspapers (Arabic + one English Article) of Friday 17/03/06, please click here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Khiam Center Press Conference - Friday 17/03/06
Khiam Center slams 'police state' 

Mohammad Safa, a former detainee in Israel and the head of the Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture and the head of Follow-Up Committee for the Support of Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons, held an "emergency news conference" to denounce the increased security measures outside the country's Palestinian camps and the prevention of the embassy sit-in.

The sit-in was meant to denounce this week's Israeli siege of a Palestinian prison in Jericho and the arrest of all its inmates.

Safa said that he, along with three other would-be protesters, was briefly detained by the Lebanese Army Thursday to prevent him from reaching the embassy.

The three others detained are Bassam Qantar, the brother of the longest-held Lebanese by Israel Samir Qantar, Mahmoud Abbas and Wael Yehia, both former detainees of Israel.

Safa alleged that the four men were harassed by an army officer a short distance from the U.S. Embassy, and then handcuffed and detained. He further alleged that army personnel struck a photographer with the butt of their rifles when the photographer tried to take pictures of the handcuffed demonstrators. "We call on Army Commander Michel Suleiman to conduct an in-depth investigation into the matter," Safa said.

Both the Interior Ministry and the army on Thursday denied that any of the demonstrators had been detained.

Interim Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat said Friday: "The only thing we asked is that (the demonstrators) complied with the law when it comes to demonstrations. They refused to apply for a license, which is why we stopped the demonstration."

The acting minister added: "They can demonstrate as much as they want once they go through the legal procedures, which have been in place for a very long time."

But, according to Safa, "this is the police state that everyone complains about. We congratulate the minister (Fatfat) for his victory in detaining former detainees of Israeli prisons ... for turning Lebanon into a big prison and for causing stagnation in public life." Safa suggested the security measures were due to fear the sit-in would turn violent, as was the case with the so-called Black Sunday riots in Achrafieh on February 5. 

"The total number of those who were going to take part in the sit-in was around 70 people, whom we all know ... I don't think 70 people are a threat."

Safa demanded the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee look into the matter, "or what is the use of its existence?"

The Follow-Up Committee for the Support of Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons is planning another sit-in, to be held Monday at 11 a.m. outside the Interior Ministry to denounce Thursday's oppression.

"Why are some people allowed to demonstrate and sign petitions against (the president) and we are not allowed to demonstrate against Israel's oppressive actions?" Qantar asked, urging Lebanese authorities not to turn Beirut's streets into "detention camps."

N.B.: To read the press conference in Arabic, please click here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Khiam Center Press Release on Saturday 18/03/06
Calling for another sit-in on Monday 20/03/2006

Monday 20/03/06 will be the Day of Freedom, Democracy & Human Rights
As a reply to the Human Rights violation that took place on Thursday 16/03/2006, the Khiam Center organizes a peaceful sit-in infront of the Lebanese Interior Ministry on Monday 20/03/2006 to make sure that freedom, democracy and human rights will always win the struggles for freedom of expression. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Democracy wins: Reconsidering ruleson license applications for demonstrations - The success of the Monday sit-in !
Monday 20/03/2006

Some 30 members and supporters of the Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture staged a sit-in outside the Interior Ministry Monday (20/03/2006) to protest the banning of a previous demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy in Awkar last Thursday. That demonstration was against a recent Israeli attack on a Palestinian prison and arresting of its inmates. 

And what was the result?
It was a struggle for democracy to win and the KRC achieved this aim, for that the Lebanese authorities will be reconsidering a decision that requires the organizers of any protest to apply for a license seven days before the demonstration takes place, which means that freedom of expression wins this round.

To read more, please click on the news as written from the Daily Star newspaper:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=23108

Fatfat to reconsider ruleson license applications for demonstrations

By Leila Hatoum 
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 

Beirut: The Lebanese authorities will be "reconsidering" a decision that requires the organizers of any protest to apply for a license seven days before the demonstration takes place, according to Mohammad Safa, the head of the Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons Committee. Safa told The Daily Star Monday that Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat informed him that the ministry "will be reconsidering the decision." Some 30 members and supporters of the committee staged a sit-in outside the Interior Ministry Monday to protest the banning of a previous demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy in Awkar last Thursday. That demonstration was against a recent Israeli attack on a Palestinian prison and arresting of its inmates. 

The minister said at the time that the protesters hadn't applied for a proper license for their demonstration and implemented strict security measures to prevent the sit-in occurring, which included closing Palestinian refugee camps and the detention of Safa and three other protesters. 
The protesters counter that they have staged over 700 sit-ins in the past and have never needed to apply for a license to do so. They accuse the American Embassy of making a "political decision to oppress the sit-in," which the embassy has denied. 
Monday's sit-in outside the Information Ministry was held without a license. 
Safa and the other protesters refused to meet Fatfat in his office Monday, demanding the minister come down and speak to them. 

A heated argument quickly ensued with Fatfat accusing the former detainees of being politicized and of having been "pushed" into action against the government.
Safa told The Daily Star that he told the minister: "We don't belong to any political group, neither March 8 nor March 14. We are former detainees of Israeli prisons and our cause is what matters. There is no one behind our actions." 

After the argument calmed down, a handful of the protesters, including Safa, joined Fatfat in his office for a discussion about Thursday's events. 
Safa said Fatfat was "understanding," and told the protesters that the authorities would be "re-considering the demand for licensing seven days before the actual protest." 
The decree may even be cancelled altogether, Safa said. 

He added that Fatfat said the government had been trying to avoid a repeat of the so-called Black Sunday riots that took place on February 5. 
The Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons Committee issued a statement later in the day saying that Monday's protest was to denounce the "oppression and moral offense" against Safa and his co-demonstrators. 

The statement added that Fatfat "transcended all national red lines when he took the decision to ban Thursday's protest ... this ban was a political decision. We understand the security fears; we condemn any act of rioting, but will not allow these fears to be an excuse to oppress public freedoms." 

The committee further urged the authorities not to persecute human rights activists. 

N.B. Please click here to read the KRC press release about the Monday Sit-In in Arabic.

Finally, The Khiam Center would like to thank all the efforts done for solidarity with them, and specially the global Human Rights activists and NGOs which showed all solidarity and support with the Khiam Center by their urgent appeals, emails, actions..etc

22/03/ 2006