The Daily Star - Rights groups urge Mikati to criminalize torture - March 15, 2011

BEIRUT: Torture prevention and compliance with Lebanon’s international obligations on the issue must be a priority for the incoming government, a collection of civil society groups said Monday. In an open letter to Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, 10 Lebanese and international nongovernmental organizations called on the state to pass and implement a 2009 draft law expressly prohibiting torture and establishing an independent National Prevention Mechanism to investigate allegations. The move is required by the U.N. Convention against Torture which Lebanon ratified in 2008. “We call on the authorities to take the necessary measures to put an end to the practice of torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment,” the NGOs said. They also urged authorities to improve prison conditions to conform to international standards. –The Daily Star