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RCPL
January 2005 Newsletter includes the following items:
1. French officer serving
with UN killed by Israeli shelling
2.
Lebanon ranks 144th in a new survey in regards to political freedoms
3.
The European Union asked Syria to withdraw its army from Lebanon
4.
President Emile Lahoud referred Hobeika, Hamade cases to the Judicial
Council
1. French officer serving with UN killed by Israeli shelling
On January 9, a French officer serving with UN was killed by Israeli
shelling, after a Hezbollah bomb attack killed an Israeli soldier and
wounded three others near the southern border, Lebanese and U.N
officials said.
2. Lebanon ranks 144th in a new survey in regards to
political freedoms
In its annual survey, Freedom House, a non-profit, nonpartisan
organization, a clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world,
ranked Lebanon in 144th place among 192 worldwide countries and 6th
among 17 Arab countries.
The survey has classified Lebanon in the "Not Free" category since 1995.
The organization evaluates individual countries based on a checklist of
questions on political rights and civil liberties that are derived in
large measure from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3. The European Union asked Syria to withdraw its
army from Lebanon
On January 19, the European Union asked Syria to respect the U.N.
resolution 1559 and withdraw its army and secret service Moukhabarat
apparatus from Lebanon and for a timetabled disarmament of Hizbullah.
The move was made in a meeting EU ambassador Patrick Renauld,
accompanied by the Ambassadors of the Netherlands and Britain, held with
Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud at the Bustros Palace.
4. President Emile Lahoud referred Hobeika, Hamade
cases to the Judicial Council
President Emile Lahoud referred the case of the assassination of former
minister Elie Hobeika and the assassination attempt against MP Marwan
Hamade to the Judicial Council Thursday.
RCPL Welcomes this step and urges the judicial system to increase its
investigation in order to catch the criminals.
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