Syrian refugee found dead in lebanese prison after gruesome torture. Photos came out of the at the time unidentified Syrian body covered in obvious signs of torture from the prison. Later a video came out of a guard assessing the bruised and scarred body which made headlines in lebanon. After the release of these videos the body was identified as Bashar Abdel-Saud, a 30 year old Syrian refugee who fled from the war in 2014. Bashar was convicted in the prison for possession of a fake 50 dollar bill, during the man’s iteriagation at the prison he confessed to being a combatant of the Islamic state. Human rights groups are now pushing for the case to be brought from the military court to the civilian court for case transparency and impartiality.
Human rights groups are outraged about this story and are pushing for justice. These human rights groups have been criticizing Lebanon for their ‘incomplete’ anti-torture law from 2017, this law has also been ignored and not put into practice by any authorities. This case is essentially what these groups have been scared of what could happen in Lebanon for years; they say that torture has been a years-long problem in Lebanon. Several cases of torture in Lebanon have surfaced in recent years, all against the Syrian refugees who are trying to seek safety. Lebanon has a lengthy past of acting harshly and not welcoming the Syrian refugees into their country with lots of cases of refugee camps being torched and destroyed. So this case does give concern that it will cause even more hostility and tension between the two parties.
This case and the history behind it is an example of how nationalism runs deep in people’s minds. The conflict between the native Lebanese population and the war-fleeing Syrian refugees is a harsh and violent one that unfortunately has no sign of ending anytime soon. The conflict has led to deaths and homelessness for the refugees. It’s an unfortunate circumstance for the refugees who are trying to flee their war-stricken country for safety and the human rights groups trying to fight for them. This case is a gruesome example of how nationalism and a past conflict still affects people’s lives.