By Van Meguerditchian
BEIRUT: Top legal and law enforcement officials signed into
effect a new criminal investigation guide Friday, in a bid to better equip the
Internal Security Forces and judiciary to conduct investigations without
violating civil liberties, while improving cooperation between the two bodies.
“The importance of this guide lies in the rights and obligations
it defines, as well as the mutual relations between security forces on one
hand, and with judicial authorities on the other,” said ISF commander Maj. Gen.
Ashraf Rifi in a speech at the launching of the guide at the security training
complex at Rafik Hariri International Airport.
ISF officers and members of the judiciary will be required to
adhere to the “Practical Guide for Criminal Investigation,” which Rifi said
provides “law-oriented and citizen-oriented measures that take into account the
right of defense.”
The launching of the guide was accompanied by the graduation of
ISF members who completed a project funded by the Delegation of the European
Union to Lebanon.
Nearly two dozen ISF personnel received a diploma from E.U.
officers, who trained the ISF personnel for more than a year under the Security
and Rule of Law project. The officers also staged a live demonstration at the
graduation.
While the SAROL project will continues to provide training for
ISF personnel and judges alike, another project entitled “Achieving Security
and Stability” is set to kick off in the first quarter of 2012.
Rifi, State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza and E.U. Ambassador Angelina
Eichhorst vowed to continue their cooperation toward the improvement of the
rule of law in Lebanon.
“I strongly welcome the signing of the Practical Guide for
Criminal Investigation by both State Prosecutor and the ISF commander,” said
Eichhorst, adding that the agreement is a positive example of
inter-institutional work.
Eichhorst said that the adoption of the guide would not be the
end of the project and that its success would depend on further training and a
commitment from the ISF and the judiciary.
Mirza said that judges in the country will need additional
training to be ready to carry out elements of the guideline.
“When the judges receive the proper training, they will all be
asked to follow the guideline and strengthen their cooperation with the ISF,”
he said.
Mirza also praised the year-long training of the ISF personnel
and said that justice would not be served without the members of the ISF who
risk their lives.
“It is true that justice is a result of judges and lawyers, but
the unknown officer needs to be in the formula of justice,” said Mirza.
According to Mirza, the improvement of criminal investigation in
Lebanon will require a frequent training of the ISF and the judiciary.
“Amid all this globalization, crime has improved significantly
and criminals have managed to find easier means to communicate.”
The E.U. ambassador also said that the E.U. is ready to provide
additional support to the ISF and the Justice Ministry to have a bigger impact
on the country’s security and the rule of law.
Rifi also mentioned that another project funded by the E.U. and
the U.S. would see the ISF gain a special academy in the Mount Lebanon town of
Aramoun to train dozens of ISF personnel each year.
“Construction [of the academy] is expected to start in the
coming months,” he added.
On the sidelines of the event, Rifi told The Daily Star that the
the restructuring and the improvement of the ISF had began and would continue.
“This won’t be the last project ... similar projects will
follow,” said Rifi.
Labored
cooperation between the ISF and judiciary coupled with a lack of advanced
investigative techniques have contributed to overcrowding in the country’s
prisons, as thousands of suspects and detainees await trial.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-26/155273-guide-aims-to-outline-rules-for-isf-judiciary-conduct.ashx#axzz1eXgY1TwC
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