Paris – Geneva, 10 September 2003

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders – joint FIDH and OMCT programme – expresses its deepest concern at the arrest today of Ms. Samira Trad, a longtime Lebanese-British human rights defender in Lebanon.

Ms. Trad, responsible of Frontiers Center, an organization dealing with rights of non-Palestinian refugees and marginalized people in Lebanon was convened on September 10, at 8 am, to the Security General – Directorate General in Beirut, after she had returned to Lebanon on September 4. Ms. Trad had effectuated a visit to Europe where she met with international human rights organizations as well as with donors, interested in the work of Frontiers Center. At 2 pm, as she had not returned, the staff from the organization called the Security General and was informed that the General prosecutor had ordered her arrest. According to information received, she is currently detained in a center for illegal migrants in Beirut.

Ms Trad faces charges of participating to an illegal organization and of damaging Lebanon’s reputation abroad.

The FIDH and the OMCT are concerned with the arbitrary character of this arrest which contravenes to freedom of expression and association guaranteed notably by article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights, which states that “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice”.

The FIDH and the OMCT call upon the Lebanese authorities to immediately release Ms. Trad and to drop charges against her. Further our organizations, urge Lebanese authorities to conform to international human rights instruments and in particular to article 1 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, stating that “Everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive to protection an, realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international level” and article 5, guaranteeing the right “(b) to form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations, or groups (and) (c) to communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations”

Background
Frontiers Center (FC) was established in February 2003 as a civil company partnership. The aim is “to create and administer programs, based on research, community input, and FC’s experience, that assist marginalized people in understanding and accessing their rights”. FC’s work mainly focuses on refugees’ rights. It replaced ACSRA, the Ad-hoc Committee for the Support of non-Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon. ACSRA had been established in September 2000 following the wave of arrests, detention, and deportation of non-Palestinian refugees and asylum seekers in Lebanon.

Since beginning of 2002, Ms Trad has been questioned at Beirut airport each time she left or returned to Lebanon. At the end of January 2002, she went to the General Security – Directorate General for clarifications. In June 2002, on her way out to Jordan, the authorities confiscated her passport for one day. In July and September 2002, Ms. Trad was questioned again at the airport.

In November 2002 and the in December 2002, Ms. Trad was convened to the Direction of General Security that informed that ACSRA was acting illegally and warned that the Committee should stop its activities. On December 20, the members of ACSRA decided to suspend the Committee and decided to create a new organization operating as a civil company, which was legally registered at notary public register on 27 February 2003. Indeed, if Lebanese law allows for NGO registration, in practice, there is no guarantee that the authorities will accept the registration.