President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, welcomed on Wednesday Justice Minister, Salim Jreissati, and the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, who briefed him on the organization’s work in Lebanon and the countries of the region.
The President affirmed “Lebanon’s respect for human rights, especially in terms of non-discrimination on the basis of race, belief, ethnicity or nationality,” adding that “these are fundamental rights for all human beings, and the Lebanese State has an interest in protecting and strengthening its principles.”
Aoun stressed that “Lebanon cooperates with governmental and non-governmental bodies, including the Human Rights Watch, in defending human rights.”
“Lebanon takes the necessary measures to prevent torture in all its forms. It protects the rights of prisoners and suspects, and supports the abolition of unjust measures against them, next to supporting the conduction of fair trials based on the law,” he said.
President Aoun also told the delegation that “Lebanon provides all the necessary support to the displaced Syrians and clearly distinguishes between terrorists and gunmen pursued by the security services, and civilians who are residing in different regions of Lebanon under the sponsoring of official civil and international institutions.”
“The armed forces cannot be lenient with militants who attack the security forces and carry out suicide operations against civilians and the military leaving behind martyrs, wounded and disabled,” Aoun stressed however.
On the situation of the displaced Syrians, he noted that “Lebanese institutions continue to provide assistance to them, despite the fact that International aid is provided to them directly, not through official institutions.”
“Lebanon categorizes them as ‘displaced’ rather than ‘refugees’ because they have fled to Lebanon to escape the war, the killing and the destruction, and not for political reasons. Lebanon supports their safe return to their homeland and not the voluntary return advocated by some,” the President said.
Ruth, in turn, praised “the position of the president of the republic, who rejected the campaign of incitement against displaced Syrians, recorded in the past few days on social networking sites and in a number of media outlets.”
“This stance is evidence of the wise sense of leadership President Aoun enjoys,” he said.
Source: NNA
