The Content:

. The International Solidarity Campaign and the closure of Khiam Detention Camp
. The Ex-detainees and Article 364.
. The New Stage.
. Khiam Center and the Rehabilitation Operation.
. Information and Documentation.
. The Palestinian and Arab Detainees in Israeli Prisons.
. The Committee as a Part of the Human Rights Movement.
. The Committee’s Achievements in 10 years.
. Obstacles and Mistakes.
. The Follow-up Committee, an Objective Necessity or what?
. Future Plans. 

The establishment of the Follow-up Committee for the Support of Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons on the 24^th of September 1992, was a peculiar step in the context of the International Solidarity Campaign with the Lebanese hostages in Israeli prisons and the ex-detainees and their families.

The Follow-up Committee is an outreach of Ansar Group that was established on the 4^th of March 1983 after the Israeli invasion for Lebanon on June 1982. This group played an important role in showing the Israeli violations and organizing the solidarity campaign with the prisoners of Ansar, Khiam and other Israeli Prisons.

The follow-up Committee started its work by raising memorandums to the Lebanese officials and the international committees and organizing strikes at the informational centers of the United Nations and in front of the office of the International Committee of Red Cross. 

1993

During 1993 the issue of detainees has been notified locally and internationally. Hence, it became a daily political event because of the activities that the committee was accomplishing. One of these activities was accomplishing the First Informative Conference Supporting the Detainees in the Lebanese Ministry of Information on the 14^th of May 1993 of which came out the first document describing by numbers and witnesses the sufferings of the detainees in Khiam Detention Camp and the Israeli prisons. That document was publicized upon all the International institutions.

Also we could develop our work into an international level, through participating in the International Conference for Human Rights that was held in Vienna in the middle of the month of June 1993.

1994

1994 was the year of the inclusive national campaign; the Lebanese country has witnessed the widest campaign supporting the detainees. The most prominent activity was the celebrations of the 7^th of October, the Day of the Detained Teacher and 14 July, the Day of Lebanese Detainee in Israeli Prisons.

During that year, the issue of detainees was aroused in the Arab and International boards. Hence, the Secretary General of the United Nations at that time, Mr. Botros Ghali, has received the first official document describing the conditions of the detainees, prepared by the Follow-up Committee. The memorandum asked him to send an international investigation committee to Khiam Detention Camp.

From another side, the committee participated in the Session 52 of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on March 1994. During the session the Secretary General of the Follow-up Committee, Mr. Mohammed Safa, had a speech representing the Arab Committee of Human Rights. The speech called up on for the entry of the International Committee of Red Cross into Khiam Detention Camp and the release of the old aged and ill hostages.

1995

A partial breakthrough for Khiam Detention Camp was achieved in 1995. Thus, as an outcome of the local and international pressures organized by the Follow-up Committee and the great efforts exerted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Israel agreed to allow the families of the detainees to visit them in prison on 31/01/1995.Moreover, the International Solidarity Campaign and the official moves resulted on releasing 100 of the hostages that were detained in Khiam Detention Camp.

Hence, the entry of the International Committee of the Red Cross into Khiam Detention Camp, the allowance of the families of detainees to visit them and the release of a number of detainees was the first historical victory for the International Solidarity Campaign that the Follow-up Committee basically organized.

Nevertheless, the Follow-up Committee continued its action on the international level through participating in the 53th Session  of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. And this time, the basic slogan that the committee adopted was the closure of Khiam Detention Camp and the release of the Arab and Lebanese hostages in Israeli Prisons.

1996

This year witnessed numerous activities. Hostages exchanging operation occurred on 20/07/1996 and 45 hostages were released.

One of the most prominent activities of that year was the conference titled ‘The Conference of Detainees ad Martyrs’ that the committee organized on the 14^th of July  in the Lebanese Syndicate of Press celebrating the day of Lebanese Detainee. Many human rights organizations from inside and outside Lebanon participated in this conference and recommendations came out suggesting the formation of  Kana International Court to sue Israel for committing Kana massacre against civil citizens and the hiring of our efforts to get Khiam Detention Camp closed and the detainees released.

1997

On 12/09/1997 Israel closed Khiam Detention Camp in the face of the International Committee of Red Cross after Anareyeh Operation. This forced the Follow-up  committee to raise solidarity actions through making a weekly strike (each Thursday) in front of the office of the International Committee of Red Cross and that was called the Strike of Thursday Mothers.

1997 has witnessed a special international move represented by the participation of Amnesty International in the celebrations of July 14, The day Of Lebanese Detainee in Israeli Prisons and also by the attempt of members in Amnesty International, Canada branch Mr. Jose Lambert and Mr. Serge Debido, to enter Khiam Detention Camp in collaboration with the committee on August 11. The attempt was prevented by Israel and the Militiamen.

A delegate from the Follow-up committee made a visit to Paris on 11/09/1997. The delegate consisted of the Secretary General of the Follow-up Committee, Mr. Mohammed Safa, and Soha Bechara’s mother who held meetings in the French Foreign Ministry and the European Parliament in Strasbourg along with French human rights organizations. Moreover they held meetings with French parties and Democratic persons.That visit was supposed to include mothers of other detainees but our lack of fund resources prevented that.

From another hand, the Follow-up Committee invited the son of the revolutionist, Ernesto Che Givara and his comrade, Orlando Borigo, to make a visit to Lebanon on 19/10/1997 the thing that contributed to the development of the International Solidarity Campaign and gave birth to wide campaign in all the Lebanese regions supporting the detainees in Israeli prisons.      

1998 

The Follow-up Committee continued to make the Strike of Thursday Mothers that has become the basic title for the issue of the Lebanese detainees. And during the visit of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Koffi Anan, to Lebanon the Follow-up Committee organized a special strike in front of the Salon of Honor of Beirut International Airport. So we met Mr. Anan in the presence of the ex Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Fares Boweiz, and we lend him a detailed file about the conditions of the detainees also we asked him to send a delegate to investigate the conditions in Khiam Detention Camp.

During the Session 54^th of the United Nations commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the committee discussed the issue of the detainees and the fact that Israel prevents any visit for them.

1998 witnessed also an exchanging operation of detainees between Lebanon and Israel on the 26^th of June. Hence, 60 of the Lebanese detainees were released. Though the Follow-up Committee wasn’t a part in the negotiations of the exchanging operation but it was and still is the unknown soldier in every exchanging operation through its informational activities.

The organizing of the International Colloquium of July 14, 1998 represented an important step for the International Solidarity Campaign with the detainees for a representative of the Arabian University and international organizations participated.

Releasing Soha Bechara, after being detained for 10 years, and other groups of detainees from Khiam Detention Camp and the Israeli prisons formed a victory for the International Solidarity Campaign the Follow-up developed greatly that year, locally and internationally in collaboration with the Arab and International organizations.

Here, we should praise the support that the French Lawyer Miss Monic Bikardwell presented for the issue of the Lebanese detainees and also the special role of Amnesty International and the other human rights organizations in developing this issue.

1999

Thursday Mothers Strikes continued in front of the offices of the international human organizations supporting the detainees and the citizens of the occupied regions especially Aita El-Shaab and Ainata.

From another hand, a press conference was held in the Lebanese Syndicate of Press and new documents about the conditions of the detainees were released. In addition, we celebrated the Day of the Detained Teacher and the International Day Against Torture on the 26^th of June.

In this year the Follow-up Committee established a web page to develop its activities and consequently this issue.

Nevertheless, the most prominent activity during 1999 was organizing the International Day for the Closure of Khiam Detention Camp on the 28^th of October. In this occasion, strikes took place in the entire world especially in the United States of America and even inside Israel in collaboration with the branches of Amnesty International in the world.

Moreover, the committee participated in the summit of the human rights defenders in Paris in the occasion of having 50 years for the International Declaration of Human Rights. This participation formed an important factor in establishing an international campaign calling upon for the closure of Khiam Detention Camp.

2000

The Follow-up Committee developed more  international activities aiming at the closure of Khiam detention Camp. So we participated in the conference of the disappearance that was held in Paris at the beginning of February having been invited by the International Federation for Human Rights.

Then, we participated in the Session 56^th of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on the 20^th of March during which voices raised calling up on for the closure of Khiam Detention Camp.

On 19/04/2000 the 13 hostages of Ayloun Prison were released, the thing that reinforced the committee’s hopes that the issue of Lebanese detainees will be finalized very soon. Here we point to the fact that the Follow-up Committee was the one who declared the news of this event and the names of the hostages that were released after having received a call from Amnesty International on 12/04/2000.

The release of the hostages of Ayloun was one of the big victories for the International Solidarity Campaign and we can’t forget the basic role that Amnesty International played along with other organizations in exerting great pressures that forced Israel to yield and release the hostages.

During this year, the Follow-up Committee participated in the Social Development Summit in Geneva and the Summit of the Arab Defenders of Human Rights in Morocco on 08/10/2000.

On the 23^rd of May 2000 a black page was closed having Khiam Detention Camp closed. This event came at the same time along with the Israeli withdrawal form the occupied Southern Lebanon. The release of groups of detainees from Khiam Detention Camp before having its closed was a good sign indicating the Israeli intentions of getting rid of the deadlock of Khiam Detention Camp.

However, the Israeli withdrawal and the closure of Khiam Detention Camp didn’t finalize the issue of detainees for Israel kept 19 of the Lebanese hostages in its prisons (nowadays they are 12) as bargains and that forced us to raise our activity. Thus, the committee organized a strike for the families of those detainees at Beirut International Airport during the visit of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Koffi Anan to Lebanon on 19/06/2000. At that time a delegate of the Follow-up Committee met, Mr. Anan and gave him a memorandum.

The most prominent activity of the committee after the closure of Khiam Detention Camp was erecting the ‘Tent Of Freedom” in front of the UN Place in Beirut and the 10 Days Open Strike from 07/08/2000 till 16/08/2000.

Tent of Freedom strike has revived the file of detainees and reminded the world of them being forgotten after the Israeli withdrawal.

Also the committee has organized solidarity meetings around the issue of the disappearances in the Israeli prisons and celebrated the 14^th of July, Day of the Lebanese Detainee in Israeli Prisons, in Khiam and Ansar prisons.

In addition, the committee organized a visit to Italy, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Lebanon. The visit consisted of a delegation of a number of ex-detainees and it contributed greatly to the issue.

2001

Though was considered the year of the ex-detainees, 2001 witnessed an official absence and silence around the issue of the hostages in Israeli prisons. Being occupied with the issue of  the Israeli soldiers and the conditions of their families, the world forgot that there are Lebanese Citizens detained by Israel and that they have families that are suffering their absence.

Facing the Israeli campaign and the international silence, the committee insisted to continue the solidarity campaign through participating in the Session 57^th of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, meeting the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Koffi Anan, in Beirut International Airport on 15/06/2001, meeting the General Director of the International Committee of Red Cross, Mr. Paul Grossrider, during his visit to Lebanon on 09/11/2001 and organizing many strikes and conferences. Moreover, the committee celebrated as usual the 14^th of July, Day of the Lebanese Detainee, pitched again the “Tent of Freedom” in front of the UN Place in Beirut on 10/12/2001 and celebrated the Christmas and the New Year in front of the office of the International Committee of Red Cross in Beirut on 27/12/200. From another hand, the Ministry of Communications has issued a postage stamp having the logo of the Follow-up Committee on it.

Despite the importance of these activities, the solidarity campaign has recorded fallback for the following reasons:

1. Closure of Khiam Detention Camp.

2. Detention of the Israeli soldiers. 

3. Retraction of the International organizations.

4. The obstacles that the Follow-up Committee faced.

We can say that the Detention of the Israeli soldiers on 07/10/2000 lead to political and informational slackness around the issue of the Lebanese detainees and that’s what we warned of. We have called up on for continuing the International and Local solidarity campaign and for taking the expected exchanging operation as a  motive for the development of the diplomatic and informational campaign and not a cause for slackness.

2002

2002 was the year of solidarity with the Palestinian people and prisoners in Israeli prisons. All the activities of the Follow-up Committee formed a struggle stations against the extermination war that the Israeli Troops commit against the Palestinian people.

One noticeable activity during that Year was the committee’s annual conference on 18/01/2002 in which participated around 500 ex-detainees. From another hand the ex-detainees made many strikes demanding the modifying of the Article 364. Also the committee met the High Commissioner for Human rights on 07/03/2002.

On the international board, the committee participated in the Session 58^th of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The delegation of the committee consisted this time of the Secretary General, Mr. Mohammed Safa and Anwar Yassine’s sister, Miss Insaf Yassine who had a special speech by the name of the Arab Organization for Human Rights. Also the committee participated in the European Initiative on Democratization and Human Rights that the European Commission organized in Jordan in which Miss Darine Wehbe represented the committee.

And when the Israeli troops detained the Palestinian Deputy, Marwan El-Barghouthy, on 15/04/2003 the committee pitched the Tent of Marwan El-Barghouthy in front of the United Nations place in Beirut from 22/04/2002 till 28/04/2002.

The 14^th of July, Day of the Lebanese Detainee, transformed that year into a solidarity day supporting thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

The committee issued many reports and press releases about the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners. Also it participated in the International Legal Meeting on the Issue of the Palestinian Citizens that was organized by the Arabian Lawyers Union in Cairo on 6-7 August and the Assistant Secretary General of  the Arabian Lawyers Union, Mr. Omar Zein, represented the committee. 

The Ex-Detainees

The issue of the ex-detainees had our attention since the establishment of Ansar Group, currently the Follow-up committee.

So the demands of the x-detainees and their families were part of the committee’s activities being a part in a general issue which is the issue of the detainees. We considered it a national issue and not a private one. That’s why all the social achievements in this concern were the outcome of the committee’s struggle to get a real constitution that supports the ex-detainees.

Since its establishment, the Follow-up Committee made memorandums that state the demands of the ex-detainees. The first meeting the committee had in this concern was with the Prime Minister, Mr. Rafik Al-Hariri, in his house in Kraytem on 11/01/1993 and they had the following deal:

      1. Providing the families of the detainees in the Israeli prisons with a monthly salary of 250,000 LL.
2. Providing each ex-detainees with a financial aid of 2,000,000 LL.
3. Continuing in providing the detainee with the monthly salary a year long after being released.
4. Exempting the ex-detainees from the military service considering the time they spent in prison a national service.
5. The official institutions should continue in paying the employee that has been detained his salary during the period of his detention.

The above deal was discussed in the council of ministers and confirmed on 06/05/1993 to be applied starting this date.

Though the government didn’t agree on all that we demanded but we considered what we achieved an important step.

On 28/09/1994 a republican legislative was issued. It exempted the ex-detainees and the detainees in the Israeli prisons of the Military Service on condition that the detention period should exceed the 3 months.

On 20/02/1994 the committee had a meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Rafik Al-Hariri, where it demanded a raise in the financial aid of the detainees. Also the committee asked to modify the article that the Council of Ministers issued on 06/05/1993 in order to be applied starting from 01/01/1993 supporting 40 detainees and raising the monthly salary up to 400,000 LL starting from 01/01/1994.

Having delayed in executing the mentioned deal, another meeting was held with the Prime Minister in Kreytem on 28/07/1994. This time the Prime Minister assured the referral of the demands to the Council of Ministers and it was officially issued in the session of 08/03/1995. It stated the following:

      1. The family of the detainee gets a monthly salary of 400,000 LL instead of 250,000 LL starting from 01/01/1994.
2. Each ex-detainee receives a fixed financial aid of 5,000,000 LL instead of 2,000,000 LL starting from 01/01/1994.
3. Modifying Article 29 dated 06/05/1993 so that it becomes active starting 01/01/1993 instead of 06/05/1993.
4. Issuing a legion called “ Legion of Freedom” to be granted to the ex-detainees on certain conditions to be identified by a legislative when the Council of Legions agrees.
5. Giving the ex-detainees the priority in the official jobs whether they are handicapped or not.

These decisions were considered a good step, especially the issue of hiring the ex-detainees in the official institutions.

Yet the committee didn’t stop here. A meeting was held then with the Minister of Education, Mr. Robert Ghanem at that time, who issued after the meeting the Decision 471 on 14/07/1995. This decision exempted the ex-detainees’ children of the tuition fees. Moreover, the minister did modify the Decision 471 on 23/08/1996 to be as follows: “ Decision 403 exempts the children of the ex-detainees of Khiam Detention Camp and the Israeli Prisons and the children of the official teachers who were released from Khiam Detention Camp or the Israeli prisons from the additional fees on the condition that they show a statement from the International Red Cross.

New Stage

The issue of the ex-detainees took compressive dimensions in front of the releasing operations on 1995 ad the exchanging ones on 1996. The decided salaries became insufficient; thus the committee started to ask the execution of the Decision dated 08/031995 concerning the hiring of the ex-detainees in the official institutions.

The committee presented several memorandums to the government asking for a revision for the social services and to start hiring the ex-detainees.

So the High Commission for Aid started organizing meetings with the ex-detainees to record their conditions, and General Yehya Raad declared hiring 23of the ex-detainees as a first batch.

During this period, a deputy, Nazih Mansour, presented a project to the Head of Parliament on 17/01/1997 aiming at supporting the families of martyrs and handicapped who were resisting the Israeli Occupation.

As a result of the resignation of the government of Mr. Rafik Al- Hariri, a new government was formed, leaded by Dr. Salim Al-Hoss, this caused the delaying of the hiring operation of the ex-detainees in OGERO. 

When the new government took its actions, the committee reminded of the ex-detainees and their demands. As a result of our daily follow-up for this issue with communications minister, Dr. Issam Nooman, a resolution was issued on 12/03/1999 stating that 75 of the ex-detainees shall be employed in OGERO. When the committee received the list of names of the employed persons, the Secretary General, Mohammed Safa, declared it in a press release.

This operation was a great move for the committee’s struggle though it wasn’t a complete one because of the political conflicts.

On 18/08/1999, the Cabinet agreed to give a monthly salary for a period of a year to each ex-detainee that was imprisoned for 5 years and more than 5 years. That was considered unfair for the ex-detainees that spent less than 5 years in prisons and those form the majority of ex-detainees. Such a decision contradicted with the memorandum that the committee presented to the prime minister on 13/01/1999, in which we demanded to raise the monthly salary and to continue the hiring operation.

However, the government didn’t continue the hiring operation despite the promises that were given and the committee had to present another memorandum on 21/04/2000. The memorandum suggested forming a ministerial commission. In addition we have organized a strike in front of the Cabinet place on 30/07/2000 and a new memorandum was presented to the prime minister, Dr. Salim Al-Hoss, asking to carry out the ex-detainees demands.

The committee kept on following up that case and organizing the supporting activities till the Cabinet finally agreed on 10/05/2000 to form a ministerial commission that study the ex-detainees’ demands and confirm it on the basis of the memorandum that the  Follow-up Committee raised on 21/03/2000.

The committee greeted that step calling for speeding the procedures up. The demands were almost about to be released in a ministerial legislative decree when the political conflicts interfered and disabled that until the Social Affairs Ministry complete the statistics and put a total project.

During this period, preparations for elections began and not an official was ready to listen to the demands of the ex-detainees.

When election were over, we raised a memorandum to the new prime minister, Mr. Rafik Al-Hariri, on 14/11/2000 asking him to execute the demands of the ex-detainees, mainly the hiring operation that the ex-government began.

But the government’s lagging pushed the ex-detainees to make a strike in front of the Parliament place during the discussion of the Ministerial statement on 02/11/2000. It wasn’t the committee who called to make the strike but the statement that was read during the strike and distributed among the deputies and ministers was prepared and published by the committee.

After that, the committee had a meeting with the Minister of Displaced Affairs, Mr. Marwan Hemadeh, who discussed the ex-detainees’ demands in the Cabinet meeting on 13/01/2001.Then the minister, Hemadeh, told us on 04/01/2001 that the government is going to take immediate proceedures to complete the hiring operation of the ex-detainees and that the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Asaad Diab, was charged of preparing a report that includes the ex-detainees’ demands after finalizing the statistics of the Social Affairs Ministry.

From another side, the committees annual seminar was held in the Lebanese Syndicate of Press on 18/01/2001. Five ministers participated in that seminar and a representative of Mr. President Lahhoud. The seminar transformed into a solidarity strike with the ex-detainees.

On 31/01/2001 we were invited into a meeting with the Social Affairs Ministry to discuss the statistics that was made and to give suggestions. Another meeting was supposed to be held a week later. During the meeting we asked for an immediate plan that accompanies the project of the Social Affairs Ministry. Dr. Asaad Diab promised to discuss that again in the Cabinet and to call for the ministerial commission that was previously formed to meet.

But the government’s delay forced us to held a press conference in The Lebanese Syndicate of press on 02/02/2001. The title of that conference was: “The ex-detainees issue and the successive governments” and it asked the ministerial commission to hold an urgent meeting in order to discuss the immediate execution of the ex-detainees’ demands, warning of ex-detainees’ negative reactions in case more delay occurred.

But the ex-detainees patience was exhausted and some of them made an open strike, refusing to eat, in front of the Cabinet place on 05/02/2001. despite our reservations concerning the open strikes, we decided to participate by making effective moves because we relate to this issue.

The government hastened to involve the strike, promising of employing a great number of ex-detainees within three weeks.

open strikes repeated and political conflicts raised, this pushed the government to release a deformed law; Article 364, on 14/ 08/2001. The committee didn’t sit in the audience, rather it transformed the celebrations of July 14 (Day of Lebanese Detainee) and the activities of The Day of Arab Detainee and The International Day Against Torture into solidarity stations with the detainees and ex-detainees. Article 364 wasn’t the outcome of the strikes only but also of the continued effort of the committee that founded the basis of this article on stages regardless the nature of this law and our position towards it.

Article 364 was born after great suffering underwent by the ex-detainees who were treated like wage earners and not like heroes.

Our fundamental demand and the slogan of the ex-detainees’ strikes was hiring the ex-detainees in the official institution on stages as happened on 1999. but Article 364 was the easiest solution for the government that disburden it from her ex-commitments that impose on her to complete the hiring operation. That article destroyed the ex-detainees’ hopes and ambitions and was a getaway for the government and not a solution.

The most serious thing about this article is that it hits the unity of the ex-detainees and divide them into groups in order to get rid of the majority of them who spent less than three years in prisons. This is a law that lacks all the human, social and scientific standards and contradicts with the ex-detainees demands and struggle. That’s why they objected. Many strikes and solidarity meetings were organized in different Lebanese regions asking for a fair law and the amendment that some deputies suggested were refused in the cabinet.

The committee doesn’t consider Article 364 a solution for the ex-detainees’ issue, it’s rather an alternative and disownment from the previous promises. However, the committee continues to present memorandums to the officials and organizing strikes that demand the execution of the mentioned article.

Khiam Center and the rehabilitation operation

The rehabilitation operation was a part in the follow-up committee’s struggle since it’s establishment in 1992 and every single achievement that the committee had was a part of the social and economic rehabilitation operation.

Rehabilitation is an interrelated and coordinated operation at the social, medical, psychic and cultural levels.

Khiam Rehabilitation Center, which the committee established on 26 June 1999, is one of the committee’s establishments. This center is based on the committee’s experience and heritage. Thus it doesn’t come from nothing but from a firm struggle over all the past years.

It’s true that no building for Khiam Center with the international descriptions is existed. Our work goes out from the committee’s place in Beirut and from the clinics of volunteering psychiatrists from the Doctors Group in Lebanon. Those arrange visits to the houses of the ex-detainees and their families, presenting them with psychological and medical directions and medicines. In this concern, Khiam Center has issued the first report about the psychic, physical and social conditions of the ex-detainees in the National Day against Torture on 26/06/2002. In addition, we have observed many activities against torture, and prepared testimonies and questionnaires also we have launched a web page for the center under the title: Together against Torture.

Moreover, we have launched a public initiation to intensify the social and psychic support for the ex-detainees and many social institutions has responded in a good way.

After that, the House of Lebanese Detainee was opened in Kafarchouba on 19/05/2002, representing a historical project in the course of the rehabilitation and reintegration of the ex-detainees in their society and releasing him from the consequences of torture.

In addition to what proceeded, the committee has given a great importance to the issue of chasing the tormentors and asking the government to establish a monument for the victims of Israeli Prisons so that this monument stays as a witness of the issue they struggled for and a souvenir for the coming generations.

Starting from that, the follow-up committee and in collaboration with the Lebanese Organization for Human Rights took a legal action against the Israeli officers and the mercenaries in order to suit them in the international courts and oblige them to compensate for the victims as the international laws state. This lawsuit was delivered to the Commissioner at the Military Court, the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General on 16/08/2002.

Khiam Rehabilitation Center and the House of Lebanese Detainee are two projects not only for rehabilitation but also for the resistance of torture, and both are the fundamental title for the committee’s struggle now and in the coming stage.

Information and Documentation

The media activities, concerning the issue of detainees, ex-detainees and the Israeli arbitrary actions, have formed one of the basic ways to bring this issue into light and create a Local, Arabian and International sympathetic movements with our issue. Nevertheless, these activities have also played a role in pushing the Lebanese government towards taking some initiations and bringing about some social demands for the ex-detainees. 

Whenever any arresting operation occurs, the committee immediately  calls the media institution, inside and outside. Also two internet web pages in English contributed in keeping this issue alive, these web pages are:

www.followupcsld-ip.org.lb
www.khiamcenter.org 

The committee has also published the following books:

Besides the books, the committee had the following informational activities:
 

      1. A periodical (every three months) about the conditions of the detainees.
2. Annual informational Conference.
3. Periodicals about the social, psychological and physical conditions of the ex-detainees
4. 500 memorandums into three languages; Arabic, English and France.
5. The Detainee Calendar.
6. Honoring the ex-detainees with the Freedom Legion.
7. Postage stamp carrying the logo of the Follow-up Committee, issued by the Communication Ministry.
8. Daily releases and tens of colloquium and press conferences.
9. Documentary films about the detainees, ex-detainees and disappearances.
10. Broadcast programs (Lebanon Radio, Sawt Al-Shaab).
11. Pictures and handicrafts forums.
12. 15 posters.
13. Offering the school and university students the information they need for their researches.

The informational activity of the committee was concentrated to the extent that we need years to be documented and organized. It represents the history of the detainees’ case and thus we will keep on it for the coming generation in order to remain in the memory of the humanity.

Palestinian And Arab Detainees in Israeli Prisons

The committee’s activity wasn’t limited to the issue of the Lebanese detainees but extended to support the issue of the Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Thus, the committee devoted April 22, the date when Samir Al-Kuntar was detained, A day of the Arab Prisoner in Israeli Prisons. From another side, a committee for the support of the detainees in the Syrian Julan was established in collaboration with the Follow-up Committee.

In the last two years, the committee has organized many solidarity strikes with the Palestinian prisoners, condemning the Israeli massacres against the Palestinian population.

When the Palestinian Deputy, Marwan Al-Barghouthy was detained by Israel last April, the committee took the initiation to launch a local and international solidarity campaign with that Palestinian struggler and with all the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli prisons. Thus, we pitched Marwan Al-Barghouthy’s Tent in front of the UN Place from 22/04/2002 till 28/04/2002. In addition, the committee organized solidarity strikes with the females Palestinian prisoners.

Also, we issued many reports and memorandums about the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners.

The Palestinian prisoners’ issue and despite all the activities that are organized in Lebanon and outside, didn’t get the demanded international support. Silence is still surrounding it and this force us to launch the widest solidarity campaign with the Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Part of The Human Rights Movement

The committee’s struggle for the issue of the Lebanese and Arab detainees in the Israeli prisons, doesn’t mean to be confined to that but it urges us to be a part in the international human rights movement, and to support the conscience prisoners in the Arab and international prisons.

Human rights can’t be divided, and the Israeli and Arabian suppression are two faces of the same coin; a violation for human rights and detention rules.

Thus, the committee participated in the Solidarity Campaign of the Kuwaiti prisoners and missing, and we considered their issue a humanitarian one that should be raised. From another side, we don’t find it contradiction to support the Iraqi population who is blockaded by the American threatens of war.

The committee also participated in the liberation campaign of Samar Al-Alami, Jawad Al-Batma and Georges Abdallah and we condemned the bloody massacre against the Arab detainees in Gangi Castle in Afghanistan, the savage suppression against the Turkey prisoners and the 5 Cuban prisoners in the American prisons.

We have declared our complete solidarity with the conscience prisoners in the Arab prisons, for it’s not possible that you be with freedom in this place and against it in another. Suppression is suppression whether by Israel or by Arabs.

The committee joined the International Campaign Against Torture that was organized by Amnesty International and the International Federal Conferences For Human Rights About Arbitrary Disappearance.

Locally, the committee participated in coordinating the national campaign for the support of the disappearance and to eliminate death sentence in collaboration with the civil organizations.

10 years

This is the whole story of the national and international solidarity campaign with the Lebanese detainees and ex-detainees and their families.

10 years within the frames of the Follow-up Committee for the Support of Lebanese Detainees and 8 years within the frames of Ansar Detainees Group; 18 years of struggle has set the basics of a national humanitarian issue that was forgotten. A trip has developed by struggle and persistence into a national and international issue and attained important social achievements for the ex-detainees.

What the committee achieved in the ten years

1. Contributing in transforming the issue of the detainees from a forgotten one into an official international humanitarian one though not in the level that we aim at.

2. Contributing in the breakthrough of the International Committee of the Red Cross into Khiam Detention Camp that allowed the families of the detainees to visit them in prisons. That was a historian victory.

3. Creating an international sympathy with this issue that resulted on certain international humanitarian groups adopting and supporting it.

4. Many detainees were released from Khiam Detention Camp and the Israeli prisons as a result of the International Solidarity Campaign.

5. Many foreign governments moved to exert pressures on Israel in order to release certain detainees who have hygienic problems and to make the exchanging operations.

6. Our work has contributed in strengthening the spirits of the detainees and their families.

7. Some official legislations were fixed in order to develop the social presentations for the ex-detainees since 1992; 75 ex-detainees were hired in OGERO Company in 1999 and compensations legislation was put into action on 2001.

8. Issuing the psychological, hygienic and social rehabilitation campaign for the ex-detainees through establishing Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture and The House of Lebanese Detainee in Kfarchouba village. Moreover, an important rehabilitation project supported by the European Union is expected to be completed soon.

9. Many civil institutions made initiatives supporting the ex-detainees socially, economically and psychologically.

10. Closure of Khiam Detention Camp on 23/05/2000 that accompanied by the Israeli withdrawal from the South of Lebanon on the 24^th of April 2000. That was the great victory for all the Lebanese.

11. Arousing the issue of the expelled from the occupied regions and the Israeli violations against the people of these regions.

12.  Launching a local and international campaign to uncover the destiny of the disappearance in the Israeli prisons.

13. Honoring the ex-detainees by awarding them legions of freedom; 2500 ex-detainees were awarded by legions.

14. Developing the solidarity campaign with the issue of the Arab and Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli prisons.

15. Supporting the conscience prisoners and disappearances in the Arab and foreign prisons.         

All these achievements couldn’t be attained if not embraced by the civil committees and some official, informational and legal personalities in addition to the great efforts that some of the committee’s members exerted in this context. Also, the coordination with the Arab and International human rights committees formed a window through which the issue of the detainees reached the international community and boards.

Obstacles and mistakes

The committee’s struggle wasn’t easy, political contradictions had a negative effect on our work and made us its victim because we tried to keep on our independence and refused to be dependent to the authority or any political party.

That independent position has put many obstacles in our way despite its importance for us. Sometimes we were forbidden to publish out news or declare our activities in the official media. Moreover, the financial support that we used to receive from the High Committee for Aid was paused as a result of our positions.

Nevertheless, the committee didn’t yield for these pressures and continued its struggle to develop the International Solidarity Campaign and to attain more social achievements for the ex-detainees.

The detainees and ex-detainees case is a political one with distinction and all that faced this case in the past years and all that it witnesses today can be referred to the conflicts that happen around it and the attempt of each party to control it.

This doesn’t mean that we didn’t make mistakes. It’s impossible in such circumstances not to commit mistakes. Some of these mistakes are tactical, some are the result of pressure, some are because of the newly experience and some caused by the lack of funding that made us work for seven years without having an office; we used to hold meetings in cafes and offices of some friends. One of the mistakes was a result of our unclear relation with the government and political parties; some tries to hire the committees’ activities to serve their aims, some cared to personalize the solidarity campaigns in a way that serves their benefits.

The committee had to make its own project from the beginning. However the mistakes that we fell in don’t change the essence of our historical experience that we are proud of. We have established a unique experience in the history of the Arab and International detained freedom despite all the obstacles.

The Follow-up Committee, An Objective Necessity?!

After 10 years of struggle for the issue of detainees and ex-detainees and after all the political, informational and social achievements, a question is asked: “ Is there any objective necessity for the Follow-up Committee to keep existing?”

The reason for the existence of any political, human or social movement is imposed by the objective circumstances and needs of certain social group, and as much it develops its work and activities as much it guarantee its persistence.

Concerning the organizational form, the Follow-up Committee now needs to renew its structure though the old structure has played a historical role in the Lebanese journey towards freedom. Our aim is not to stay as a committee but to contribute to the surroundings through a future plan.

We’re not fans of this issue and thus we don’t accept to be formal committee. We are able to add something to this issue through our efforts and activities and we will do that.

The committee’s experience in past 10 years is rich and if we can document it, it will then represent a new fundamental base for this issue.

However, the Follow-up Committee is an objective necessity for the following reasons:

. Israel still constrains Lebanese citizens in its prisons.
. The ex-detainees need social, economic and psychological rehabilitation
. The tortures that practiced torture in Khiam and Ansar prisons should be suited.
. Media, law and medical institutions should document the detention experience.
. Israel still constrains Palestinian and Arab detainees in its prisons.
. Our 18 years experience of struggle can add more to this issue.

Future Plan

Being an objective necessity with several objectives to achieve, the Follow-up Committee has to innovate new means and be transformed into a social institution or a documentary or informational center that defends human rights and opposes torture. This needs a specialized team with legal, informational, documentation and rehabilitation experts.

The committee’s struggle will be for the following themes:

Releasing the Lebanese detainees from the Israeli prisons. This will be the basic theme.

Uncover the destiny of the disappearance and press on Israel to deliver the corpses of the martyrs.

Working for a real project supporting the ex-detainees and their families through hiring them in the official institution or creating job opportunities for them.

Giving priority to the economic, social and hygienic side in any rehabilitation project for the ex-detainees.

Developing the work of Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture through a specialized medical team and social workers to be able to support all victims of torture especially men and women.

Developing our work with Aman Network, the non-governmental organizations network for rehabilitation in the Middle East and North Africa, and cooperate with the rehabilitation centers all over the world.

Planning to generalize the “House of Lebanese Detainee” in many southern villages other than Kfarchouba.

Proceeding the International Solidarity Campaign with the issue of the Palestinian and Arab detainees in Israeli prisons.

And on the informational and documentary level:

. Developing the web pages of the Follow-up Committee and Khiam Center.
. Editing “ Khiam detention Camp, The Whole Story” book.
. Organizing a forum where pictures about the development of the course of the detainees case and the national and international activities.
. Preparing a documentary film about the activities of the Follow-up Committee since its establishment till the closure of Khiam Detention Camp.
. Editing "Hundred days in Ansar prison" book, having 20 years passed the editing of the first version of that book.
. Editing " The Ex-detainees; official documents" book.
. Organizing an Arabian colloquium on the 26th of June, The International Day against Torture.

This is our future plan and the missions that we will struggle for with all the civil national and international institutions, armed with the 10 years experience and our strong will.

20/09/2003