Kesrouan MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr urged the conference of the International Organization of Democratic-Christian Parties on Terrorism and Human Rights to assert the full and immediate withdrawal of Syrian troops, the disarming of Palestinian camps, and revealing who assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Abi Nasr, who has recently joined the opposition, spoke Monday at the conference that was held in Brussels in his capacity as the president of the Lebanese Democratic Christian Union. Abi Nasr attended the conference with Aley MP Fouad Saad and Minyeh MP Ahmed Fatfat and spoke on their behalf.Abi Nasr warned that Lebanon was drifting gradually toward the police state at the hands of Lebanese and Syrian security apparatuses at a time when other countries are moving toward democracy and freedom. He expressed fears the interference of security apparatuses would reflect on the upcoming parliamentary polls and deprive it of transparency and integrity. Abi Nasr also called for considering the jailed leader of the disbanded Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, a political prisoner; and former commander General Michel Aoun, exiled for political reasons, which is contradictory with human rights. He also called for considering Lebanese detainees in Israeli and Syrian prisons as political prisons and releasing them according to the UN Charter and international laws related to freedom of expression.
Participants in the conference unanimously adopted the Lebanese delegation's recommendations and decided to include the issue of human rights violations in Lebanon on the agenda of the UN Human Rights Commission, which will convene in Geneva in April.