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تكتظ السجون وأماكن التوقيف في لبنان بالموقوفين احتياطياً الذين ينتظرون المحاكمة، وذلك رغم أن الدستور اللبناني يفرض احترام الحرية الشخصية ويكرّس مبدأي قرينة البراءة واستثنائية التوقيف الاحتياطي. وفي محاولة لمعرفة أسباب ارتفاع اعدادهم، أعدت المفكرة القانونية دراسة في العام 2018 حول القرارات القضائية المتعلقة بالتوقيف الاحتياطي القصير الأمد في قضايا الجنح في بيروت وبعبدا. أظهرت هذه الدراسة مخالفات قانونية عديدة نلخص أهمها في هذا الفيديو.

• للاطلاع على الدراسة الكاملة:

التوقيف الاحتياطي في لبنان: عقوبة مسبقة أم إجراء ضروري؟

In 2017, more than 55% of  detainees in Lebanon were held in pre-trial detention, and more than 25% of them were detained for less than a month. Pre-trial detention has a heavy cost for the both the State and the detainees. Low-income detainees can lose their jobs and homes as a result of pre-trial detention. The presumption of innocence means that pre-trial detention is an exception and may only be used when necessary. So why is short-term pre-trial detention increasing?

A study by the Legal Agenda on short-term pre-trial detention in cases of misdemeanors revealed several legal violations by the judiciary:

1- Failure to comply with legally prescribed deadlines:

1. Custody during preliminary investigations reached an average of 6 days, while the law limits this to a maximum of 4 days.

2. Defendants waited an average of five days to appear before the investigating judge while the law guarantees a prompt appearance (24 hours).

3. Defendants waited an average of nine days before they appeared for their first court hearing while the law guarantees a trial hearing immediately or on the following day.

2- Failure to provide a reasoning for arrest warrants and to clarify the necessity of the pre-trial detention.

3- The use of pre-trial detention as an early punishment prior to conviction.

4- Failure to consider the medical and socio-economic conditions of detainees.

Pre-trial detention is not the rule. Pre-trial detention is not an early punishment. Pre-trial detention is the exception.

• To read the study:

Pre-Trial Detention in Lebanon: Punishment Prior to Conviction or a Necessary Measure