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9(d) B4-0858, 0864 and 0879/97

Resolution on the conditions of imprisonment of Miss Souha Bechara in Southern Lebanon

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolution of 25 May 1989 calling for the release of Miss Souha Bechara, arrested in Southern Lebanon (1),

- having regard to Article 5 of the Geneva Convention on the rights of peoples under foreign occupation,

A. whereas on 7 November 1988 Souha Bechara, a Lebanese student aged 21 at the time, was arrested by the Southern Lebanese army on the grounds that she had attempted to assassinate the head of that army,

B. whereas Souha Bechara was taken to Israel to be interrogated before being returned to detention in Khiam prison in Southern Lebanon,

C. whereas Souha Bechara has now been held in that prison for nine years without ever having been tried or even charged and has been denied all access to her lawyers,

D. whereas representatives of the International Red Cross have not been allowed into Khiam prison since 10 September,

E. whereas action has been taken by a large number of humanitarian organizations including the IFHR, Amnesty International, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and the Association against Torture with a view to securing the release of Souha Bechara,

1. Condemns the fact that Souha Bechara has been in prison since 1988 without being charged or sentenced and demands that she should at last be given fair judicial treatment in accordance with international law and released;

2. Demands that her lawyers and family should be able to visit Souha Bechara;

3. Calls for representatives of the International Red Cross to be allowed back into Khiam prison;

4. Calls on the Council to take appropriate diplomatic and political action to promote implementation of this resolution;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Presidents of the Council and Commission, the governments of the Member States and the Israeli Government.

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1. OJ C 158, 26.6.1989, p. 206.

This document is published online by Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights