Amnesty International Report 2000 - Lebanon

Full report available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aa103.html

Torture and ill-treatment

• A student, Walid Achkar, secretary of the Free Patriotic Movement, which supports former President Michel 'Aoun, was arrested without warrant by the General Intelligence in Amioun in December and transferred to the Military Intelligence Centre in Kebbeh in Tripoli. There he was reportedly tortured for three hours by being beaten and forced to stand on one leg. He was transferred to Beirut and released without charge after four days' detention.

 

Back to walidachkar.me

Eyewitness: Lebanon protests (BBC News) - 02/03/2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4308217.stm

Thousands of Lebanese protesters have thronged the streets of Beirut in the past few days, demanding the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country after the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and the resignation of the government.
The BBC News website spoke to three demonstrators about what they witnessed during the protests and why they attended.
Here are their stories. 

WALID ACHKAR, 30, BANKER

I went down to the protests in Martyrs' Square with my friends and family.

Some people told me they had walked about 30km just to attend the demonstration - it took them 12 hours to get there

Each day, there were different teams of protesters. If some were tired and went home to rest, others came back and relieved those who stayed.
You saw people from all over Lebanon. I met a group from a small village near the Syrian border who had come down to participate.
On Monday I was right inside the demonstrations in Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut.
The army had put barricades around the square, and stopped cars and people from entering the area, but when people came they just stepped over the barriers, leaving their cars.
Some people told me they had walked about 30km just to attend the demonstration - it had taken them about 12 hours to get there.
At one point, some children took flowers in their hands and gave them to the Lebanese army. The army was not against the people at all - many of us have cousins in the army, so the soldiers were kind to us.
That evening, we were watching these two giant television screens which showed what was happening in parliament, when suddenly the prime minister requested to speak and announced he was resigning.
From that moment, I cannot express how it was in the square. Flags waved, there were huge celebrations from all the people, many of whom were chanting "Freedom!" and "Sovereignty!"
It has been a great feeling to see the protests, Lebanese people from all ages, all sects. You can see children only a few months old and 80-year-old grandmothers, along with boys and girls from all walks of life.
People are not afraid of what is happening, for the first time everyone is united against Syria.

Back to walidachkar.me

Walid Achkar, You are a Forger (by: Pierre Raffoul) - 08/12/1999

http://www.generalaoun.org/160raffoul.html


The Beirut Regime has fabricated false charges against our comrade, Walid Achkar, and accused him of counterfeiting and distributing American dollars. He was arrested arbitrarily at the Balamond University because of his affiliation to the Free Patriotic Movement and dragged in cuffs to a Military Police center. This center, like many others, has been turned under the puppet regime into a horrible detention center. These centers are run and controlled by psychopaths, collaborators, agents and militia lords who are motivated by grudges, low-self esteem, and hatred. The regime has made these respectable places notorious detention centers where free and patriotic citizens opposing Syrian occupation are held and tortured. The custodians of these Nazi-Like detention centers treat the innocent detainees with cruelty, assault them physically and verbally and expose them to inhumane humiliation. They have pre-set fabricated charges for every citizen detained in a bid to justify their atrocities and savage conduct.

Our comrade, Walid:
You are a forger in the eyes of the regime's coward officials.
You are a forger, because you as well as all your colleagues refuse to accept and live with the imposed occupational status quo.
You are a forger, because you are proving loudly and clearly to the whole world that the people of Lebanon are free and refuse slavery.
You are a forger, because you refuse to be like them a traitor and a collaborator.
Your are a forger, because you negate their alleged claims that the Lebanese people want the Syrian occupation to stay in their country.
You are a forger, because you are struggling for a sovereign, independent Lebanon that is fully free from foreign troops and its influence.
You are a forger, because you call for a State of law and constitutions, while they want the country to remain an international heaven for outlaws, criminals, drug traffickers and mafias. They want the regime to serve their own individual greedy interests, not those of the people.
You are a forger, because you have uncovered their venomous schemes aiming to destroy the unique identity and entity of Lebanon and every thing that is Lebanese. You are making it difficult for them to hand over the country to Syria.

You are a forger, because you are stubborn, not obedient and not a chameleon.
You are a forger, because you don't wheedle and compliment the Syrian occupier.
You are a forger, because you are honest, not a liar and because you refuse to flatter Assad's-Syria and allege Assad is Lebanon's guardian angel, and his son, Bashar, Lebanon's hope.
You are a forger, because you have openly and courageously unveiled their collaboration and subservience.
You are a forger, because you are free, honest and have integrity, not like them a servant and a slave.

Our comrade Walid:
Now, after you have been given the privilege of their "civilized" detention-treatment, you can loudly witness with peaceful conscience that they are brilliant Syrian graduates. The world must know that they were fully trained at the Nazi-like Syrian jails and detention centers on all inhumane humiliating and torturing advanced techniques. They have imported to Lebanon the latest "Mezze detention center" inventions. They want us to enjoy this Syrian-grace!!!!

Our great poet, Mr. Youssef Rohana, had said: " They used to send spies to know who is against the state, but now they send them to know who wants Lebanon's independence". These horrible atrocities reflects the reality of Lebanon's current imposed occupational status under a subservient regime. The regime's mere interest lies in killing "Lebanon" in the people's hearts and souls, ruining their quest for freedom and aborting their zeal for liberation. They are resorting to all means of intimidation, persecution and atrocities to make the people void from any patriotic stance or opinion. They want the people to have no dignity, be obedient and subservient and even walk quietly to the butcher house with no protest or struggle.

Our comrade Walid:
Though you, we address all our beloved patriotic colleagues and salute their remarkable perseverance and faith. The regime's false accusations and charges against you, are in fact medals decorating yours chests. Medals of honor, courage, faith, heroism, loyalty and love for a free, democratic, independent, multi-cultural sovereign Lebanon. The regime puppets fear you and your patriotism, because in free Lebanon their judgement will be tough and people will have no mercy on them

Long Live our students
Long Live Free Lebanon 

Back to walidachkar.me