Head of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) bureau in Lebanon Nadim Houri said that the abduction of Syrian nationals who oppose President Bashar al-Assad’s regime “has been going on for years” in Lebanon.
“The trend of kidnapping Syrian opposition figures in Lebanon has been going on for years, but has surfaced to the public after the uprising in Syria began,” Houri said in an interview with As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper published on Tuesday.
He added that Nawwar Abboud, a Syrian opposition figure, “was arrested in 2009 by the Lebanese army intelligence in North Lebanon and disappeared shortly after he was released.”
“The fate of Abboud is still unknown,” Houri said.
He added that the Lebanese government “is responsible for the protection of foreigners in Lebanon.”
Earlier this year, Syrian national Jassem Merii al-Jassem and his three brothers Chedid, Ahmad and Ali were reportedly abducted in Lebanon. Syrian opposition figure Shebli al-Aysami also went missing in Lebanon.
The Syrian National Council said on Sunday that there are 13 cases of “abductions” of Syrian opposition figures in Lebanon.
According to UN estimates, more than 3,500 people have been killed in the crackdown on Syrian protesters who have been demonstrating against the Baath regime since mid-March. Thousands have fled to Lebanon.
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