Case summary Nour Merheb

2 July 2008

Human Rights and Strategic Nonviolent activist Nour Merheb was assaulted by a person named “J.Z.” outside of the building where he worked.

In the investigation conducted by the military police, the aggressor “J.Z.” claimed that Nour held out a knife against him, which caused him to commit an assault in self defence.

The conclusion to this investigation held that officer “J.Z.” was responsible for the incident, and that Nour Merheb did not hold a knife against him.

The prosecuting officer Lieutenant Colonel Said, after going back to the military prosecution office, decided to collect the hearing fees and the compensation for the suspension of officer “J.Z.”.

7 July 2008

Nour was ordered to pay the amount of 2,468,000 LBP (roughly GBP 1,000).

He did not accept to pay, and was therefore accused, without any evidence, of threatening the officer with a knife and of disabling him for six weeks because of a broken finger.

Nour was now accused according upon articles 557 and 573 of the penal law and 73 of the weapons law, with accusations punishable with imprisonment for up to three years.

Nour attended the military court hearings, testified and was subject to numerous abuses and violations.

He finally managed to prove that “J.Z.” did not see a knife in his hand, through the confession of “J.Z.” himself, who reiterated this statement several times since the first court hearing. However, his statement was not recorded in the minutes of the hearing.

22 January 2010

Nour requests to the judge that this confession be entered in to the court record.

It later turned out, the confession recorded in the court transcript differ from the confession expressed by the officer and was somehow ambiguous.

28 May 2010

Nour considers that the military court is unfair and illegitimate, and does not respect his right as a human being and his right, as a Lebanese citizen, to a fair and impartial trial that is provided for in the Constitution and in international covenants.

Thus he refused to cooperate with the military court, and did not attend the hearing that was supposed to be held at that date, although he risked that an arrest warrant be issued against him and incarceration.

1 September 2010

The court sentenced him to two months of imprisonment and a payment of a fine of one hundred thousand Lebanese pounds.

Nour refuses to submit to the military court orders that he deems illegitimate.

He continues to reside in is house in Dbayeh, campaigning for the abolishment of military courts in Lebanon, while also awaiting for his arrest.

September 2010

He issues a statement that he will begin a open hunger strike that will: 'start as soon as the authorities imprison me and I will not stop it until I’m released.'

17 January 2011

He receives a phone call from a person who claimed to be from the Lebanese Army Secret Service from the number 009611887687 and he identified himself as Mr. “Jamil Haddad from the secret service of Zalqa area in the district of Mount Lebanon under the supervision of Colonel Pierre Saab,” as he claimed, and he informed Nour that he is required to Present himself at “The center
of the Lebanese army secret service in Mount Lebanon, located in the area of Rihaniyya on the eighteenth of January, at 8:00 AM.

Nour tells the caller that the request is illegal as it is not issued by a judicial authority and that he will not cooperate with this order.

Nour states that this call a flagrant violation of the Lebanese law, and that all Lebanese Human Rights organisations must file law suits against the army secret service and other security organizations who violates Human Rights and the Lebanese Laws.

Nour also mentioned that the SS request might not be related to the decision of the military court which sentenced him to prison for two months and which was issued on the first of September, 2010. Yet, he stressed that he would face this ulawful request in the same way and that he will declare full non-cooperation with the Lebanese army secret service, which is known for its violations of human rights and their practices of psychological and physical torture and abuse of citizens (http://case2769.org/2011/01/17/547/).

More information: http://www.case2769.org