UAE releases Lebanese detainee whose death in custody sparks abuse allegations

BEIRUT – A group of Lebanese citizens detained in the United Arab Emirates have been released, Lebanon’s foreign ministry said Saturday.

The ministry said in a statement that the Lebanese ambassador to the UAE informed the ministry of the release of 10 Lebanese detainees who were arrested there about two months ago.

The release follows the death of a Lebanese man detained in the UAE earlier this month on unknown charges. Ghazi Ezzedine, 55, died of torture, a committee of family members of Lebanese citizens detained in the UAE said in a statement, with human rights groups raising concerns about the lack of transparency from the UAE government regarding Ezzedine’s case and related detention.

UAE authorities have not commented on the case or the release of other detainees.

Afif Shouman, head of a group of Lebanese families with relatives detained in the Gulf state, said seven Lebanese citizens were still detained in the UAE and no one had been found guilty, and called for their release.

In the past, UAE authorities have detained dozens of Lebanese, mostly Shia, over their alleged ties to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Like other GCC members, the UAE considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

In 2019, the UAE sentenced a Lebanese national to life in prison and between two and 10 years in prison for ties to Hezbollah.

Amnesty International said in a statement at the time that the trials of the men “failed to meet international fair trial standards” because the evidence included “confessions obtained under duress, and the defendants were held incommunicado for months without access to lawyers for questioning.” and investigation.”