The Lebanese Center for Human Rights has called for a solidarity sit-in with refugees arbitrarily detained by the Lebanese General Security, this Thursday March 25th at 12:00 p.m. at the Adlieh roundabout, in front of the General Security retention center (under Elias Hraoui bridge).

The call comes after numerous attempts to achieve justice for refugees and migrants, which have failed because of the reluctance of the General Security to release foreigners who have served their prison sentences.

According to the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH - Centre Libanais des Droits de l'Homme), on Wednesday the 17th of March 2010, in despair, two Iraqi refugees detained arbitrarily at the General Security retention center are alleged to have violently beaten their heads on the walls. Several others declared that they had stopped eating for two weeks to protest against their detention conditions and to demand their release. Others have joined this Saturday March 20th the hunger strike movement, which the authorities have made a point to deny. On several occasions since last week, some refugees have spent hours screaming in despair in the underground cells of the retention center.

“No one is hearing us… How long will we remain locked up? We are all going to kill ourselves, we cannot bear it any longer!", they declared in a message addressed to CLDH. "Imagine yourself simply going to jail when your only crime is to have fled your country! Imagine yourself spending several months in an underground parking, in cages, without seeing any sunlight, without an activity and not knowing when you will get out! Here, days are a hundred times longer than outside ..." they added.

For more info, please call Wadih Al Asmar: +961 70 950 780

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110564545627537

CLDH's Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107869015821