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In follow up to its previous discussions regarding the Penal Code related to violation of 'women's honor',  the Parliamentary Justice and Administration Committee abolished yesterday Article 522 of the Penal Code which condones the marriage of the rapist to his victim, and totally eradicating the exemption part regardless of the circumstances, committee rapporteur, MP Nawar Saheli told As Safir. For his part, the president of said committee, Robert Ghanem, announced that deputies have continued yesterday the discussions, focusing on the last paragraph of Article 505 which states that he who has sexual penetration with a minor 15 years of age and is less than 18 is punished with 2 months up to 2 years in prison. They agreed to strengthen the penalties against he who has sexual penetration with a minor under 15 years regardless of the victim’s consent or disapproval. Al Hayat newspaper described the above decision that will be submitted for enactment to the Parliament’s General Assembly at the first legislative session as a positive step. Such step, Al Hayat added, requires further measures, such as awareness-raising public campaigns especially that the forced marriage of an underage girl from her rapist is still common in Lebanon. Many people, the paper noted, view marriage in such cases as necessary to cover the scandal as well as prevent potential honor crimes within families. 

(Al Diyar, As Safir, Al Hayat, An Nahar, December 15, 2016)

 

Previous related news: 

Sub-committee abolish legal clause condoning the marriage of rapist to his victim

Sit-in near the Parliament to protest forced marriage of a raped woman to her rapist

Calls for full annulment of an unfair law article on VAW

 

The Criminal Court of Mount Lebanon, headed by Judge Henri Khury, issued on Tuesday its verdict in the case of killer of wife Roqaya Monzer (http://bit.ly/2hnQx5Q) punishing him with 22 years of hard labor, and the payment of victim’s restitution. The Judge reportedly based his sentence, in absentia, on Article 547 of the Penal Code related to premeditated murder (20 years of hard labor) and Article 72 related to Arms Acquisition (2 years in prison), against Munzer who did not show up for the hearing. The judge demanded the execution of the arrest warrant and the payment of LBP 180 million in restitution to the victim’s family. It should be noted, that the above case has seen repeated attempts over 2 and a half years to negate the crime, starting with the forensic doctor’s report which clearly overlooked the bruises on all the victim’s body, up to the release on bail of the culprit following his indictment in June, 2015 and his disappearance after that. Meanwhile, the case of Rula Yaacub (http://bit.ly/2hnXJiz) is advancing at a suspiciously slow pace, as per the mother of the victim. To recall, an accusatory decision was issued last May by the accusatory body in the North indicting Yaacoub’s husband, in line with Article 550 of the Penal Code, and referring him to the Criminal Court of North Lebanon for trial. Moreover, an arrest warrant was issued against the perpetrator who filed for overruling the verdict at the Criminal Court of Cassation. On the other hand, news were reported of the death of young woman, Hiba T, 28 years, who was shot by her brother in Duros, Baalbak, in what appears to be a cos-called “honor crime”. (As Safir, Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, December 15, 2016)

 

Eight months following the discovery of the most dangerous human trafficking network led by a Lebanese businessman, owner of Chez Maurice and Silver night clubs in Junieh, (http://www.lkdg.org/ar/node/14941) the magistrate of the Accusatory Body in Mount Lebanon, Judge Elias Eid, issued an accusatory decision, No. 2211/2016 on the case. The indictment focuses on charges of human trafficking, slavery and systematic torture and rape against girls and forcing them into prostitution by intimidation and coercion. Some 26 suspects were indicted on charges of documented crimes under the masked trade of ‘human trafficking’. So far, 22 persons were detained in stages, while arrest warrants have been issued in absentia for the remaining four who are still at large. The Judge has based his decision on the law related to human trafficking No. 164/2011 and other clauses of the Penal Code. In this respect, the lawyer at Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation, Mohana Isaac, described this ruling to Al Akhbar newspaper as a progressive step in cases of human trafficking. This is so, Isaac explained, because the issuance of the indictment which will refer the file to the Criminal Court to start the public trial, has bunked off fears of mitigation of the punishment from trafficking to facilitation of prostitution. “The criminal descriptions were consistent with the criminal circumstances and acts, without taking away the rights of the victims. This culminates effort kicked off months ago which have proved the existence of human trafficking,” Isaac concluded. (Al Akhbar, December 15, 2016)

 

Critical agricultural issues, now the responsibility of the incumbent president, remain pending and await the formation of the new government (c.f. http://bit.ly/2fBGXNF ).  A recent review of the situation indicates that the export of apples during the first three quarters of 2016 has dropped by 35% and the value has dropped by 8 million USD compared to last year.  This has happened despite the promises of the Minister of Agriculture to secure new markets especially in Egypt, Jordan and Russia.  The delayed rainfall also had a negative impact on non-irrigated crops such as wheat, barley and peas in addition to perennial trees such as citrus trees and in addition to irrigated crops.  Citrus farmers in Akkar and in South Lebanon called on the state to ban foreign products from entering the Lebanese market and compete with their product and to mobilize law enforcement to that effect.  For their part, cow farmers in the Bekaa appealed to the new president to hear their endemic complaints especially that Lebanon has been suffering for the past two years from a drop in the price of milk.  On the other hand, IDAL organized a workshop on “the monitoring systems in packaging centres”.  During the event, IDAL’s president, Nabil Itani, emphasized the importance of this initiative which seeks to strengthen marketing and open new markets.  Itani added that Lebanese exports cannot complete in terms of quantities and thus they should compete in quality and hence the importance of adopting international standards. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Ad Dyar, Al Mustakbal, Daily Star – 29/30 November,  1,8,10,11,14 December 2016)

 

At the time when the two MWDW trade unionists, Sujana and Rosie, were arrested in Lebanon with one of them being subjected to deportation, and as both were involved in documenting rights violation due to the Sponsorship system, the Qatari Minister of Labor announced yesterday that his country has abolished the infamous Sponsorship system with the decision taking effect immediately.  According to the Qatari minister, the Sponsorship system will be replaced as it resulted in the violation of the rights of migrant workers and in increasing their vulnerability to abuse.  The new system to be adopted will be based on a work contract.  However, the employee will still need the approval of the employer before leaving the country.  Amnesty International criticized this new system saying that although the word “Sponsorship” was dropped, the fundamentals of the old system are still in force and the employees remain at the mercy of abusive employers.  Within the same vein, the Ministry of Administrative Development and Social Affairs in Qatar announced that it has helped some 10000 migrant workers victims of abuses and all were repatriated in 2015.  This announcement was made on the day when the Sponsorship system was abolished. (L’Orient le Jour, Daily Star, An-Nahar 13  December 2016)

 

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day (December 10th) and the 16 days campaign to resist gender based violence, the “together for development” NGO organized last Tuesday in partnership with the UNFPA and in collaboration with the Qobb Elias municipality, the closing ceremony of their “Skills for Learning” project.  The event was attended by several key figures and included an address by the president of the “Together for Development Association” Nawal Mdallali.  Mdallali  noted that the “all are responsible for upholding human rights”.  She also added that each person should be responsible for stepping in and defending every person who is at risk of violence or discrimination.  Mdallali further reiterated that Lebanon should abolish all forms of discrimination against women and respect international conventions to that effect.  For her part, the coordinator of UNFPA’s Gender Based Violence Programme, Sonia Elias, noted that this project targeted the youth as they are an important element for change especially since they possess the capacity to educate their peers and families on the importance of combating gender based violence.  The celebration included a theatre production by young women and men.  The play highlighted key issues such as gender based violence, forced child marriages, drug abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases.  A documentary on the work of the trainees was also projected in addition to the delivery of certificates to the participants in the project. (Al Mustaqbal 14 December  2016)

 

The president of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, refused to sign a proposal to appoint 8 out of 29 committees on the level of municipalities and villages because they did not include women members. Accordingly, and based on the FPM bylaws, Bassil approved appointments of 21 committees and 37 members in around 58 Lebanese towns distributed over the cazas of Zahleh, Beirut II Parliamentary Constituency, Akkar, Rashaya, Aley, Baabda, Tyre, Marjeyoon, Hasbaya, Nabatiyeh, Zgharta and Batroon. ( As Safir, Al Diyar, December 13, 2016)

 

In its edition of today, As Safir newspaper brought to light the campaign launched in 2014 by the Directorate General of General Security to rehabilitate women’s prisons. The main focus, As Safir wrote, is on the prisons of Baabda, Barbar Khazen in Beirut, Al Qobba in the North and Zahleh prison in the Beqaa area, with a total number of 279 inmates, and changing occasionally, as per the head of the prisons’ branch, lieutenant colonel Ghassan Othman. The four prisons are overcrowded, particularly in Baabda, which, while built to accommodate 60 persons, presently houses about 90 inmates. Any additional prisoner is required to sleep on the floor because of insufficient beds, Othman told As Safir. In Tripoli, Al Qoba jail which originally accommodates 80 prisoners max, has over 100 inmates, Othman said, adding that Zahleh prison houses over 40 inmates when it can only take in 35 persons. On the other hand, Khazen jail in Beirut cannot put up with more than 60 inmates, he said. For more on the campaign, please check the following link: http://m.assafir.com/Article/176/520063  (As Safir, December 13, 2016)

 

The arrest and detention of the two migrant domestic workers’union activists, Sujana and Rosie (c.f http://bit.ly/2gCoFfa) , has stepped up after the General Security deported Sujana on Sunday, keeping her colleague Rosie in detention, Al Akhbar newspaper reported. Meanwhile, the GS did not clarify causes of arrest and is still denying the right of above workers to hire a lawyer. On the issue, Al Akhbar contacted the head of the office of media affairs at the General Security, Birgadier General Nabil Hanun, who categorically denied the act of detention on basis of activism, stating that the two MWDWs were involved in facilitating the escape of domestic workers from their employers’ homes. On the other hand, human rights associations seems to have generally opted not for a low key reaction while underscoring the message of intimidation that GS wanted to covey to MWDWs by the act of deportation. To this effect, the National Federation of Workers and Employee Trade Unions in Lebanon and the General Assembly of the Syndicate of MWDWs issued a statement yesterday expressing their shock over the act. (Al Akhbar, The Daily Star, L’Orient Le Jour, December 13, 2016)

 

Following cases of sexual harassment of children at the SOS village and the Social Welfare Institutions (Dar Al Aytam), as well as, the case of Father Mansur Labaki, Al Akhbar newspaper revealed today that a hearing is scheduled tomorrow at the Appellate Greek Orthodox Court to look into the case of sexual harassment of two underage children against Archimandrite Pandalaymun Farah, abbot of Sayidat Hamatora (Kosba in the North) Monastery. The lawsuit has been suspended for over 3 years and considered an internal church matter. It all started in 2012, the newspaper wrote, when Farah was referred to the Disciplinary Council Seminary upon instructions of the Greek Orthodox Diocese following a grievance it received about a 15-year old boy who admitted to being sexually abused during confession sessions with priest Farah. Later on, an administrative decision was released by the Archbishop of Byblos and Batroon banning Farah from performing priesthood services, including confessions, and from travel. Farah, Al Akhbar mentioned, denied the charges against him and refused to comply with the Diocese orders, arguing, as he said, the voluntary submission to the church he enjoys among the ‘community of (Christian) believers’. The newspaper also pointed out that Farah has been in the past involved with a same sex scandal, but the case has been dropped to resurface in 2013 with the sexual harassment case as ‘a conspiracy sown by evil people’, according to the Diocese. As such, the Church stressed the need to conceal the disgrace and protect the Orthodox sect against the “gloating of other sects”, admitting that “a human in the end is only a human” and that “repentance is recognized by the church”. In this respect, a number of parishes belonging to the Antiochian Orthodox Church rejected in a statement any attempt to cover up sexual harassment crimes and to hold perpetrators accountable for their acts. (For further details regarding the statement of the church parishes, please visit the following link: http://al-akhbar.com/sites/)