Lebanon: Whether Lebanese authorities keep records on Lebanese citizens who did not fulfill their military obligations prior to the abolition of compulsory military service; whether those citizens can be identified when they enter or leave Lebanon
An official at the Embassy of Lebanon in Ottawa and representatives of human rights organizations in Lebanon indicate that Lebanese authorities keep records on Lebanese citizens who did not fulfill their military obligations prior to the abolition of compulsory military service; these individuals can be identified when they enter and leave Lebanon (Lebanon 8 Jan. 2010; Alkarama 12 Jan. 2010; CLDH 17 Jan. 2010).
In 8 January 2010 correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Consul of the Embassy of Lebanon in Ottawa stated that the Lebanese army circulates a list of citizens who have evaded military service to all border crossings. According to the Consul, when a person on the list arrives at the border, the General Security of the Immigration and Border Services requests that the case be reviewed with the military authorities of the Lebanese army (Lebanon 8 Jan. 2010). He further noted that the person is not allowed to leave Lebanon until the file is settled (ibid.).
In 17 January 2010 correspondence with the Research Directorate, the President of the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (Centre libanais des droits humains, CLDH), a human rights organization which fights the practices of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in Lebanon, affirmed that people who avoided compulsory military service before 2007 may be identified at Beirut International Airport when they enter or leave Lebanon and may face immediate arrest (CLDH 17 Jan. 2010).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Alkarama for Human Rights. 12 January 2010. Correspondence with a researcher.
Centre libanais des droits humains (CLDH). 17 January 2010. Correspondence with the President.
Lebanon. 8 January 2010. Embassy of Lebanon in Ottawa. Correspondence with the Consul.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to reach a representative of the the Lebanese Armed Forces was unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response.
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, European Country of Origin Network (ecoi.net), Factiva, Human Rights First (HRF), International Crisis Group, Legislationline, Middle East Forum, Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), The Mideast Monitor, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Refworld, United States (US) Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008, War Resisters' International (WRI), Washington Institute for Near East Policy.