The Daily Star - Rights activists interrogated over EU-backed report - March 23, 2011

BEIRUT: Human rights campaigners were summoned by the Justice Ministry Tuesday for their role in a EU-funded report and released after three hours of interrogation but still face the threat of further action. The investigation into the two activists, who belong to the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH), has been transferred to State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, who will now determine whether to proceed with the lawsuit, CLDH said. The charges against the group have been filed by the Amal Movement over alleged defamation, although an exact list of the charges has not been made public. According to unconfirmed reports by investigations, the lawsuit was personally filed by Amal head and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. CLDH’s February “Arbitrary detention and torture: the bitter reality of Lebanon” report alleged that Amal and Hezbollah routinely detained and tortured those suspected of spying for Israel before handing them over to Lebanese authorities. –The Daily Star