9 October 2025

The Cedar centre for Legal Studies (CCLS) organized a roundtable titled “Law 65/2017: Between Adoption and Lack of Implementation” at Dar Al Qamar Restaurant in Tripoli, as part of the project “Quality and Sustainable Rehabilitation Services for Victims of Torture in Northern Lebanon” supported by the Norwegian Embassy. The roundtable aimed to assess the current state of the law’s implementation, foster dialogue among judicial, medical, syndicate, and civil stakeholders, and develop practical recommendations to enhance enforcement and protect victims’ rights.

More than 32 participants attended the event, representing local associations, international human rights organizations, professional syndicates, lawyers, journalists, and prominent figures from various sectors. Among them were former Minister Samir Jisr, former Bar Association President Mr. Mohammad Murad, Ms. Rida Azar representing the National Human Rights Commission including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Lebanon, representatives from the Lebanese Center for Human Rights, Restart Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, EuroMed Rights, Su‘at Association for Social Development, Reform and Rehabilitation Association, the Lebanese Democratic Women’s Gathering (RDFL), Ruwwad al-Tanmeya, René Moawad Foundation (RMF), the Union for the Protection of Juveniles in Lebanon, as well as religious figures, activists, and legal experts. This diversity enriched the discussion with a wide range of expertise and perspectives.

The discussion gathered representatives from civil society, legal and human rights organizations, social and psychological support sectors, and the media, creating a multidisciplinary space for dialogue on the law’s implementation and challenges.

In terms of gender distribution, the event demonstrated a relatively balanced representation, with 18 females and 14 males. The slight majority of female participants reflects an encouraging trend of women’s active involvement in human rights and legal advocacy spaces, particularly in northern Lebanon.

Regarding nationality, the participation was predominantly Lebanese, with 31 Lebanese attendees and one Palestinian participant. While the event primarily targeted national stakeholders, the inclusion of a non-Lebanese participant added a modest layer of diversity and underscored the regional relevance of human rights issues.

The age range of participants extended from 24 to 60 years old, showing meaningful intergenerational diversity. Most attendees were professionals in their forties and fifties—experienced actors from the legal, civil, and humanitarian fields—while younger participants in their twenties and thirties contributed fresh perspectives and energy to the discussions.

Professionally, the roundtable brought together individuals from a wide spectrum of institutions, including civil society organizations (such as Restart, RDFL, RMF, UPEL, CLDH, Euromed Rights and Sou’at), the legal community (lawyers, Bar Association members, and a former Bar Association president), human rights bodies (like the NHRC-NPM and Sou’at), as well as media professionals and psychosocial practitioners. This diversity enriched the dialogue, allowing for a comprehensive exchange that connected legal reform, victim support, and public awareness.

Overall, the participant composition reflected strong gender balance, sectoral diversity, and intergenerational representation, though it remained largely national in scope. The active presence of women, legal experts, and civil society leaders highlighted a shared commitment to advancing the implementation of Law 65/2017 and strengthening accountability mechanisms to combat torture in Lebanon.

Remarks by the Executive Director of Cedar centre

The session opened with a welcoming speech from Cedar centre, followed by the Lebanese national anthem. Participants then introduced themselves and the organizations they represented.

Mr. Saadeddine Shatila, Executive Director of Cedar centre, presented the centre’s programs and highlighted its development in December 2024 with the opening of the Rehabilitation centre for Victims of Torture in Tripoli. He explained that the centre offers multidisciplinary services including psychological, social, medical, and legal support to help victims rebuild their lives. He noted that the centre has already received over 89 cases and emphasized that it represents a practical step toward implementing Law 65/2017 and strengthening the protection of torture victims’ rights.

Presentation on Law 65/2017

Mr. Mohammad Sablouh, Head of the Legal Program at Cedar centre, delivered a brief presentation on the law and its objectives.

He explained that the law, passed by Parliament on September 19, 2017, aims to criminalize torture and all forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, establish a clear legal definition, set appropriate penalties for perpetrators, and protect victims by ensuring their right to compensation and rehabilitation in line with international standards, especially the Convention Against Torture.

He reviewed the definition of torture under Article 1 of the law, stressing that the crime is not subject to a statute of limitations and that torture is unjustifiable under any circumstances, including war or orders from superiors.

Sablouh highlighted several challenges facing the law’s implementation, including the absence of executive decrees, weak political will, lack of monitoring mechanisms, and limited resources to support victims—factors that contribute to ongoing violations and negative societal impacts.

He emphasized the critical role of forensic doctors in documenting violations and providing medical evidence to courts in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol, which helps protect victims’ rights.

He also pointed out gaps and observations in the law, such as the need to clarify and expand the definition of torture, revisit the issue of statute limitations, establish a clear structure for compensation and rehabilitation, and define the role of psychiatry in providing accurate assessments to support legal accountability.

The presentation concluded by reaffirming Cedar Centre’s vital role in filling governmental gaps by offering multidisciplinary services to victims, thereby enhancing the law’s implementation, empowering victims, and strengthening trust in civil society and the judiciary.

Key Themes

The program included an awareness video about the law and its importance, followed by discussions on key themes:

Part One – Legal Framework and Medical Role:

• Challenges judges face in classifying torture crimes and the relationship with Article 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
• The role of forensic doctors in documenting violations under the Istanbul Protocol and the challenges to their independence.

Part Two – Role of Associations, Syndicates, and Recommendations:

• Contributions of syndicates and human rights associations in documentation and legal support, and enhancing coordination among stakeholders.
• Drafting practical recommendations to activate the law, identify gaps, and establish mechanisms for prevention and accountability.

Open Discussion and Exchange of Expertise

The roundtable featured continuous open discussion across all themes, giving participants the opportunity to share opinions, observations, and questions—especially regarding the implementation of Law 65/2017 and the challenges it faces on the ground. These interactions revealed a rich diversity of perspectives and expertise among judges, forensic doctors, lawyers, human rights representatives, media professionals, and civil society actors, enriching the dialogue and enabling the exchange of best practices and experiences.

Real-life stories were shared during the discussion, illustrating cases of torture and abuse suffered by individuals without protection or respect for human dignity. These stories underscored the ongoing daily violations in Lebanon. Participants emphasized that torture affects all groups—not just adults or minors—but has become a widespread issue.

Attendees stressed the urgent need to strengthen cooperation among all stakeholders, including the judiciary, forensic medicine, syndicates, and human rights organizations, to fully implement the law, protect victims, and ensure accountability for perpetrators. They also called for preventive and proactive measures to stop future violations.

Drafting Joint Recommendations

Participants were given papers to write down their practical recommendations for activating Law 65/2017. These were collected with the aim of later compiling them into a statement to be shared with all stakeholders, in order to advocate for the law’s full implementation. The focus was on prevention and accountability mechanisms, and on reinforcing the roles of the judiciary, forensic medicine, and syndicates in protecting victims.

The recommendations were:

• Collaboration between human rights organizations and professional syndicates to gather documentation and sufficient information for preparing the UPR (Universal Periodic Review) submission.
• Pressure on the government to implement existing laws and establish mechanisms to protect victims.
• Recruitment of female forensic doctors to serve women victims.
• Respect for the Juvenile Lawin all legal procedures.
• Organizing scientific seminars on human rights in legal cases.
• Formation of follow-up committees including city scholars and religious leaders from all sects to support lawyers committed to enforcing Law 65/2017.
• Training judges on the application of Law 65/2017.
• Training security personnel on interrogation methods that preserve human rights.
• Activating the role of public prosecutors and obligating them to open investigations in cases of alleged torture.
• Nullifying any interrogation conducted under torture and enforcing this principle.
• Promoting judicial independence.
• Urging the judiciary to apply and enforce Law 65/2017.
• Obligating security forces to document interrogations with audio and video recordings.
• Abolishing the military court system and military trials.
• Raising awareness among marginalized communities about their legal rights and how to defend them.
• Amending the definition of torture by adding the phrase “especially” before “public official.”
• Adding the phrase “or omission” after “any act” in the definition of torture.
• Amending the statute of limitations clause to include: “The continued employment of the public official shall be considered a suspension of the statute of limitations.”
• Establishing accredited forensic centres staffed by forensic doctors and criminal experts, ensuring no forensic report is issued before completing all medical and criminal procedures, under international oversight.
• Strengthening judicial oversight.
• Opening actual investigations into torture cases reported under Law 65/2017 and referring them to competent civil courts rather than military courts.
• Ensuring protection for victims and witnesses in torture cases and preventing any retaliation against them for filing complaints.
• Engaging media outlets directly with the cases being followed to ensure continuous public attention.
• Ensuring the presence of a lawyer during interrogations
• Highlighting detention conditions and prison environments
• Adhering to the principle of independence
• Ensuring that the crime of torture is not subject to a statute of limitations
• Requiring detention canters to contact three legal references (such as associations or law offices) registered with the Ministry of Justice to provide free legal defense for defendants unable to appoint a lawyer. If these contacts fail to respond, the investigator must ask the defendant whether they wish to proceed without a lawyer.