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L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
The law on judicial independence is ‘a positive step' but ‘enough,' according to HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Aug. 15, 2025, that the bill on judicial independence, adopted by the Lebanese Parliament on July 31, is 'a positive step' but 'does not sufficiently guarantee judicial independence.' The organization noted that 'the new law includes some advances in judicial independence, notably greater autonomy and a larger role for judges in electing their peers.' However, the report continues, 'it allows the government-appointed attorney general to order other prosecutors to halt ongoing judicial proceedings and limits the highest judicial body in Lebanon [the Supreme Judicial Council] in overcoming government deadlock and obstruction in judicial appointments.' Ramzi Kaiss, an HRW researcher in Lebanon, said that 'the Lebanese Parliament has made progress but has not truly seized the opportunity to protect the judiciary from political interference.' The report also notes that, although the bill was signed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry and sent to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun, the parliament and government should amend the text. It has been widely criticized by civil rights groups, including the Coalition for Judicial Independence in Lebanon and Legal Agenda, for not taking their recommendations into account and for amendments made during its passage through the Administration and Justice Committee. 'The draft presented in 2018 followed very high standards,' said Nizar Saghiyé, executive director of Legal Agenda, cited in the report. He acknowledged progress on transparency in judicial elections and freedom-of-expression guarantees but said there is still a long way to go. The new law indeed expands judges' in the process of electing their peers and strengthens self-governance in appointments, disciplinary measures, and the transfer of cases among magistrates. It also tasks the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) with developing internal judicial regulations and a judicial code of conduct. Article 53 states that 'judges are independent in the exercise of their functions' and 'cannot be transferred, evaluated, sanctioned, or suspended from their judicial duties, except in cases provided by law.' Judges remain irremovable for four years unless subject to disciplinary proceedings, and they cannot remain in the same position for more than five years. However, whereas the original version stipulated that the vast majority of SJC members should be appointed by their peers, following the recommendations of the Venice Commission (the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters), the bill was amended to increase the number of judges appointed by the government from three to four out of eight. What worries civil society most is that the government-appointed public prosecutor is still authorized by law to instruct other prosecutors to take legal measures of their choosing, giving them powers that remain excessive, according to the report. Civil society also highlighted significant violations in the legal process of adopting the text. These included 'last-minute amendments that members of Parliament could not examine before the vote, as well as a random tallying process that led some journalists and MPs to conclude that the bill had not received a majority of votes,' the report notes. 'We did not discuss the law, and the text was not put to a vote. They called certain names [of parliamentarians], then the law was approved,' said MP Halimé Kaakour (protesting) in a video posted on social media, a statement cited by HRW. Finally, the report raised the need for the government to ensure that the military prosecutor's office no longer handles civilian cases, contrary to its internal regulations. The appearance of civilians before this 'special' body had become commonplace in recent years, in what the organization described as attempts at 'intimidation.' The HRW report also notes that the newly adopted law is subject to review by the Constitutional Council and should be amended. 'The adoption of this law represents a first step in judicial reform, but the struggle will not be over until Lebanese leaders permanently remove the legal provisions used to obstruct and paralyze the work of the judiciary,' concluded Ramzi Kaiss.
Gulf Today
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
HRW accuses Israel of attacking civilians
Human Rights Watch accused Israel on Wednesday of 'indiscriminate' attacks on civilians during its recent war with Hezbollah, saying two deadly strikes in east Lebanon should be investigated as war crimes. A November 27 ceasefire sought to end more than a year of hostilities between the two sides that began with Iran-backed Hizbollah's cross-border fire at Israel in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon, most of them during two months of all-out war that erupted in September, according to Lebanese authorities. Among the dead were hundreds of Hizbollah's fighters and a slew of senior commanders. HRW said 'two unlawful Israeli strikes' on the town of Yunin in the eastern Bekaa Valley that killed more than 30 people 'were apparent indiscriminate attacks on civilians'. 'At least one of the attacks used an air-dropped bomb equipped with a United States-produced Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit,' it said. 'The attacks should be investigated as war crimes.' On September 25, a strike 'killed a family of 23 people, all Syrians, including 13 children', HRW said, while another on November 1 on a two-storey house 'killed 10 people, including two children, one of them a year old'. HRW said it 'did not find any evidence of military activity or targets at either site' and that the Israeli army did not issue evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes. The rights watchdog said it had contacted the Israeli military about its findings but had 'not received a response'. AFP has also contacted the military for comment on the report. HRW's Ramzi Kaiss said in the statement that 'more and more evidence is emerging that Israeli forces repeatedly failed to protect civilians or adequately distinguish civilians from military targets during its strikes across Lebanon'. Washington's supply of weapons to Israel 'has made the US complicit in their unlawful use', HRW added. It urged the Lebanese government to give 'the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes' and provide 'a path for justice for grieving families'. Swathes of Lebanon's south and east and parts of Beirut's southern suburbs were heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment during the hostilities. Agence France-Presse
Saba Yemen
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Amnesty International: "Israel" Committed War Crimes Against Civilians in Lebanon
London - SABA: Amnesty International has accused the Israeli army of launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Lebanon during the recent war, committing war crimes against citizens. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the human rights organization said: "There is mounting evidence of repeated violations of international humanitarian law," accusing Israeli forces of failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets in several strikes across different parts of Lebanon in 2023 and 2024. Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanese researcher at Amnesty International, stated: "More and more evidence shows that Israeli forces repeatedly fail to protect civilians and do not adequately distinguish between civilian and military targets in their strikes across various parts of Lebanon in 2023 and 2024." Amnesty International pointed to two incidents it described as unlawful and likely constituting war crimes. On September 25 last year, an enemy airstrike in northeastern Lebanon killed 23 members of a Syrian refugee family, including 13 children. In another incident on November 1, 2024, a two-story residential building was bombed, resulting in the deaths of ten civilians. It is worth noting that the Zionist enemy has not adhered to the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on November 27, 2024, and still controls areas in southern Lebanon, despite the agreement stipulating its complete withdrawal after the ground military operation. Additionally, Israeli forces continue to launch near-daily raids on southern Lebanon. ContinueNew chat Facebook Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Arab News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
HRW accuses Israel of ‘indiscriminate' attacks on civilians during war in Lebanon
'At least one of the attacks used an air-dropped bomb equipped with a US-produced Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kit,' HRW saidHRW's Ramzi Kaiss said in the statement that 'more and more evidence is emerging that Israeli forces repeatedly failed to protect civiliansBEIRUT: Human Rights Watch accused Israel on Wednesday of 'indiscriminate' attacks on civilians during its recent war with Hezbollah, saying two deadly strikes in east Lebanon should be investigated as war crimes.A November 27 ceasefire sought to end more than a year of hostilities between the two sides that began with Iran-backed Hezbollah's cross-border fire at Israel in support of its Palestinian ally than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon, most of them during two months of all-out war that erupted in September, according to Lebanese the dead were hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and a slew of senior said 'two unlawful Israeli strikes' on the town of Yunin in the eastern Bekaa Valley that killed more than 30 people 'were apparent indiscriminate attacks on civilians.''At least one of the attacks used an air-dropped bomb equipped with a United States-produced Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit,' it said.'The attacks should be investigated as war crimes.'On September 25, a strike 'killed a family of 23 people, all Syrians, including 13 children,' HRW said, while another on November 1 on a two-story house 'killed 10 people, including two children, one of them a year old.'HRW said it 'did not find any evidence of military activity or targets at either site' and that the Israeli army did not issue evacuation warnings ahead of the rights watchdog said it had contacted the Israeli military about its findings but had 'not received a response.'AFP has also contacted the military for comment on the Ramzi Kaiss said in the statement that 'more and more evidence is emerging that Israeli forces repeatedly failed to protect civilians or adequately distinguish civilians from military targets during its strikes across Lebanon.'Washington's supply of weapons to Israel 'has made the US complicit in their unlawful use,' HRW urged the Lebanese government to give 'the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes' and provide 'a path for justice for grieving families.'Swathes of Lebanon's south and east and parts of Beirut's southern suburbs were heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment during the month, rights group Amnesty International said Israel's attacks on ambulances, paramedics and health facilities in Lebanon during the conflict should also be investigated as war crimes.
Middle East Eye
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli destruction in Lebanon blocks return of displaced civilians, says HRW
Israeli attacks on towns and villages in southern Lebanon are preventing tens of thousands of displaced people from returning home, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports. 'Israel's deliberate demolition of civilian homes and infrastructure and its use of explosive weapons in populated areas are making it impossible for many residents to return to their villages and houses,' said Ramzi Kaiss, HRW's Lebanon researcher. Kaiss added that even if some homes remain standing, the lack of essential services - water, electricity, telecommunications, and healthcare - makes their return unfeasible. HRW researchers documented widespread destruction, including an Israeli strike on a water filtration and pumping station in Tyre on 18 November, which disrupted water access for around 72,000 people. While emergency repairs restored some supply within a month, the facility - Tyre's primary water source - must be completely rebuilt, said Kassem Khalifeh, the utility's chief supervisor.
