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15th July 2009
I feel unable to speak "congratulation about a release" after so much injustice. I can only say Youssef Chaaban my heart is with you, you and all victims of Lebanon's rotten judicial system which stole 16 years of Youssef's life. I am still speechless about so much cruelty and injustice to which anyone can be subject, ... It is sufficient to be at the wrong time, or at the wrong place, or have the wrong opponents and once you are in ...behind the iron door, it is so hard to get out, it actually needs a miracle...
In Lebanon, an arrest under any purpose is sufficient to put even an innocent in prison for a lifetime.
I watched poor poor poor strong Youssef Chaaban on LBC with Marcel Ghanem and was so disappointed about the whole scenerie... Marcel was laughing...Marcel was never in jail, he always "arranged" himself... No one tackled the "conditions" of arrest, the "conditions" of jail, the "conditions" of the Lebanese judicial system... It was rather a mascerade with a thanks here and there... I really disliked the whole issue...
Marcel could have at least tackled the points above to create awareness at least...
Does any Lebanese know that when he/she is arrested under whatever "reason" he/she is not allowed to talk to his/her lawyer? The arrested is only allowed to appoint or name a lawyer. That's it. During the whole arrest which per Lebanese law should not be longer than 4 days (and is regularly violated, there are people who stay in arrest for months in Lebanon), the arrested is not allowed to talk to his lawyer, not even when presented to the general prosecutor or judge. So what is the use to nengage a lawyer except the fact that one begins paying huge bills? Ridiculous country.
In arrest, no contact to anyone in any form is allowed. An absolut cut from the world and an absolut cut in one's human rights.
Beyond that in Lebanon a general prosecutor is also a judge at the same time in Lebanon. What a sick unjust system. A prosecutor in developed country is not the judge who speaks his sentence, those are two different people/offices/functions.
Conditions of the "arrest", a cell of 8x8 feet full of cockroaches, completely dirty toilets, dark without light, a mattress on the floor (as if it makes a difference) often fully urinated and obviously mouldy mattress, no covers, nothing. No water except tap water, food once a day, to be eaten with fingers (extravagant menu of rice and some tomato sauce). I could go on for ages, but i am so disgusted that my stomach is turning again ...
Any Human rights in Lebanon? no, thank you...All we do is criticize Syria, Israel, saudi Arabia, Iran etc.. but we never speak about our own dirty system... (tfeh)
Poor Lebanon... | 
