|
Credible
Canadian sources have reported that a Canadian citizen has been detained
for the past three weeks in a Beirut prison (Lebanon) without any formal
charges.
Bruce Balfour, a 52-year-old Calgarian, was arrested upon his arrival to
Beirut airport on July 10. He was transferred to Roumieh prison, where
family and friends said he was being held without formal charges.
Balfour was detained in Beirut at the beginning of a visit to the
country, along a reforestation project for the Cedars of Lebanon in
association with the Maranatha Evangelistic Association.
RCPL is deeply concerned about the physical and psychological conditions
of Mr. Balfour. This is not the first time that the Lebanese authorities
proceed to arrest citizens illegally. RCPL considers Mr. Balfour’s
arrest illegal, as he has been held secretly without informing the
Canadian embassy in Lebanon for more than 10 days, with no contact
with his family or lawyer, and as he has been detained for 3 weeks
without trial or formal charges. These facts constitute
a severe violation of articles 102 and 103 of the Lebanese Code of
Criminal Procedures (CCP), as well as article 9 (2, 4) of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):
Article 2: Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at
the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly
informed of any charges against him.
Article 4: Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or
detention shall be entitled to take proceedings before a court, in order
that court may decide without delay on the lawfulness of his detention
and order his release if the detention is not lawful.
RCPL urges the Canadian officials to intervene with the Lebanese
authorities in order to immediately release M. Bruce Balfour for fear
for his physical and mental degradation. RCPL also urges the Lebanese
government to release all illegally detained people in conformity with
its international commitments as per the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and the International Declaration of Human Rights.
|
