Background

This case concerns UNVT-0017, a 32-year-old Syrian daily worker residing in Jib Jannine, Western Bekaa, Lebanon. On 14 October 2025, he was arrested at his family home by the Intelligence Directorate of the Lebanese Army, shortly after returning from Syria. That evening, his family was assured that he would undergo brief questioning and be released within two days. Instead, he remained in custody, and his personal identification documents, including an expired temporary residency certificate, were confiscated.

On 3 November 2025, it was confirmed that UNVT-0017 was being held at the Ministry of Defense detention facility in Baabda, Lebanon. During this time, he had only limited contact with his family and with a lawyer, the head of the CCLS Legal Support Program, appointed to him on 4 November 2025. On 22 December 2025, both the Ministry of Defense and his lawyer informed the family that he had been released. However, instead of being freed, UNVT-0017 was forcibly taken by Lebanese Military Intelligence and handed over to the Syrian authorities on the same day.

He was subsequently detained in Syria, where he remained in custody until his release on 20 January 2026. During his detention in Syria, he was held at the detention facility of the Reif Dimashq Court and was denied any contact with his family. His family had no information regarding his fate or whereabouts until 17 January 2026, when his mother identified his photograph circulating in a WhatsApp group in Syria. Following repeated efforts by his mother to locate him and to request meetings with the judge, he was eventually released on 20 January 2026.

During his detention in Lebanon, UNVT-0017 was subjected to severe torture while in the custody of Lebanese Military Intelligence, as he later reported to his family. Since his arrest, his family and lawyer had repeatedly sought clarification regarding his fate and location, official disclosure of his legal status, and recognition of their right to appoint legal representation before the competent authorities.

Legal Action Taken by CCLS:

Following the disappearance of UNVT-0017 on 22 December 2025, his family immediately began efforts to determine his whereabouts. In the days that followed, they sought information at both the Ministry of Defense and the General Security Directorate in Lebanon, but received no clarification regarding his location or legal status. Parallel inquiries were also conducted in Syria, including checks at border crossings and detention facilities. Syrian authorities confirmed that UNVT-0017 had not entered Syrian territory.

On 04 November 2025, UNVT-0017’s family organized a general power of attorney. This authorization empowered him to act on behalf of UNVT‑0017 before all courts and judicial authorities, submit applications and petitions, sign documents, undertake necessary legal procedures, including filing appeals and objections, receive judicial decisions, and pursue their execution in relation to this case.

On 8 January 2026, the CCLS legal team submitted a formal complaint of enforced disappearance to the Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation. The matter was subsequently referred to Investigating Judge. To date, however, this legal action has produced no tangible results, and no information has been disclosed regarding the fate or whereabouts of UNVT‑0017.

On the same date, 8 January 2026, a joint statement was issued by the Cedar Centre for Legal Studies (CCLS) and the Access Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), calling on the Lebanese authorities to urgently disclose the fate and whereabouts of UNVT-0017, ensure his protection, and conduct an effective, independent investigation into his disappearance.

In parallel, the Cedar Centre for Legal Studies (CCLS) and the Access Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) jointly submitted an urgent appeal / communication to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) concerning the enforced disappearance of UNVT-0017. The submission requests the Working Group to urgently intervene with the Lebanese authorities to clarify the fate and whereabouts of UNVT-0017, to ensure his protection, and to prompt the authorities to carry out an effective investigation into his disappearance.

On 09 January 2026, CCLS and ACHR raised the case of UNVT-0017 with the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared (NCMFD) and the National Human Rights Commission, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Lebanon (NHRC), requesting their immediate intervention to verify his status and initiate the procedures necessary to determine his whereabouts.

Alleged violations:

Enforced disappearance:

• Law 65/2017 (Art. 47): Criminalizes deprivation of liberty by state agents followed by concealment of fate or whereabouts.
• ICPPED (Art. 2): Defines enforced disappearance and obliges states to prevent, investigate, and punish it.

Arbitrary arrest and detention:

• Law 65/2017: Prohibits unlawful deprivation of liberty without judicial oversight.
• ICPPED (Art. 17): Forbids secret detention and requires legal safeguards.

Failure to acknowledge detention / disclose information

• Law 65/2017 (Art. 47): Concealment of detention is a core element of enforced disappearance.
• ICPPED (Art. 18): Families have the right to information about the detainee’s status and location.

Denial of legal safeguards

• Lebanese Code of Criminal Procedure & Law 65: Guarantee access to counsel and judicial review.
• ICPPED (Arts. 17 & 20): Require judicial oversight and access to legal representation.

Risk of torture or ill‑treatment

• Law 65/2017: Explicitly criminalizes torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
• ICPPED (Art. 1): States that enforced disappearance can never be justified and is linked to risk of torture.

Violation of family rights

• Law 65/2017: Recognizes families’ right to information and remedy.
• ICPPED (Art. 24): Guarantees families the right to truth and reparation.

Recommendations

• Immediate clarification of fate and whereabouts: Lebanese authorities should promptly disclose the current status and location of UNVT-0017 to his family and legal representatives.
• Ensure protection and safety: The State must take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological safety of UNVT-0017.
• Conduct an independent and effective investigation: A thorough, impartial investigation should be launched into the circumstances of his arrest, detention, and disappearance, with findings made available to his family and legal representatives.
• Hold responsible parties accountable: If State agents are found responsible for the disappearance or any ill-treatment, they should face appropriate disciplinary or criminal measures in line with national and international law.
• Provide remedy and reparation: Once located, UNVT-0017 should be guaranteed access to remedies, including medical care if needed, and the family should receive reparations for the suffering caused by his disappearance.
• Improve preventive measures: Lebanese authorities should strengthen monitoring and accountability mechanisms in detention facilities, including registration, access to legal counsel, and family notification, to prevent future enforced disappearances.
• Engage with international mechanisms: The State should cooperate fully with the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) and other relevant human rights bodies.