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The
Rt. Hon. Tony Blair Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1
Your Excellency
Since the 21st of April 1994, Dr. Samir Geagea the leader
of the Lebanese Forces has been incarcerated in solitary confinement
in the Ministry of Defence Jail in Lebanon. On this occasion, The
Lebanese Forces is appalled at the continuing injustice and political
revenge inflicted on Dr. Samir Geagea the leader of the Lebanese
Forces and
would like to take the opportunity and reiterate very important facts
related to his situation.
Historical Background
Under the auspices of the international and Arab Diplomatic
communities, “the inter-Lebanese Agreement of National Reconciliation”
was signed in Taef in 1989. It hinged on a compromise between the
Lebanese Christians and Moslems represented essentially by the
acceptance of Christians “political reforms” and “balance in the
Power” in return for the recognition of Moslems “the Sovereignty,
independence, and integrity of the Lebanese entity” as well as “the
withdrawal of all non-Lebanese troops from Lebanon”.
This agreement became a “pact of National Reconciliation” aiming at
instituting general openness and understanding. It hoped to bestow
Civil Peace and help in reconstructing the Lebanese institutions upon
criteria of Equality and Justice.
Under the leadership of Dr. Samir Geagea, the Lebanese Forces fully
supported the “Taef Agreement” and effectively joined the program of
the reconstruction of the Lebanese institutions and thus had a direct
and pivotal role in ending the state of War in Lebanon. (This was
reiterated by the representative of the United Nation and delegate of
the Arab Tripartite Committee Mr. Al Akhdar Ibrahimi – Al Wasat
24/11/1997).
Dr. Samir Geagea and the Lebanese Forces hoped that after the Taef
Agreement, the new Lebanese institutions would represent an element of
equability to all parties. But the execution was totally devoid of the
essential criteria of impartiality and equality amongst the Lebanese
groups and was severely lacking in true participation in the
representation within the regime and government. There were also many
independent reports reiterating a continuation of the lack in
Sovereignty and highlighting direct Syrian interference in almost all
Lebanese internal issues.
From within the above context, Dr. Samir Geagea refused twice
ministerial posts offered to him and declined from participating and
backing what he described as an intolerable situation devoid of any
true National reconciliation… He led the boycott of the 1992
parliamentary elections due to pitfalls in the Electoral Law that
deviated from Just representation amongst the different religious
communities in Lebanon…In the meantime, Dr. Geagea worked at
disbanding the Lebanese Forces military militia and successfully
transformed it into a political party.
Instead of cooperating with the new Lebanese Forces Party geared
towards the new found peace in Lebanon, the Syrians and their
appointed Lebanese regime acted with a spirit of revenge and total
elimination of their opponents…
A
plan for Dr. Geagea’s arrest and trial in front of the Judiciary was
put in place after his refusal to accept two ministerial posts and
agree to the de facto political process or to leave the country
altogether…( This was reiterated in a Public Statement from President
Elias Hrawi)
On
the 27th of February 1994 a bomb was detonated in the midst
of a religious service in Our Lady of Deliverance Church at Zouk-
Lebanon killing and maiming the praying congregation and hastily
accused the Lebanese Forces and its leader with its execution. The
Lebanese Forces Party was disbanded by ministerial decree before any
trial and Dr. Geagea was arrested and presented to the Judiciary.
A
multitude of trials were subsequently opened in the face of the LF and
its leader aiming at eliminating him politically and at blemishing his
picture showing him to the public opinion as an unworthy criminal and
a public threat.
This pre-packed scenario of the Church bombing did not go as intended.
The Regime’s key witness retracted his initial deposition and openly
described the torture and persecutions he has endured and was
subjected to whilst in custody… The Judiciary faced with a high
profile public interest and international monitoring of the trial
could not indict the LF or its leader with the bombing… Dr. Geagea was
cleared by the Court yet he continues until today (for ten years now)
to be imprisoned in solitary confinement whilst the LF Party continues
to be disbanded…
After this long period of
injustice and incarceration, Dr. Samir Geagea became the epitome of
the structural deficiency that defines the present Lebanese internal
condition and the symbol of his marginalized Christian community in
the Government. From within his prison his
suffering mirrors the anguish of his people who are
losing all the prerequisites of their Independence
and Sovereignty under the dark shadow of:
a)
A whole Executive Regime
appointed and controlled directly by Syria,
b)
A legislative body whose
representation is left wanting in the big majority of its deputies,
c)
A “Judiciary” that is used
as an instrument of political revenge and functions only in accordance
with the whims and wishes of the Political and Intelligence
establishments,
d)
A commandeered and
dependent Foreign Policy,
e)
An ailing Economy
f)
A muffled and constrained
Media,
g)
A devastating expertise of
attacks on fundamental and essential
individual Freedoms and
h)
A Culture torn between
retrograde ideas and the scissors of Censorship.
It
is this imbalance that led to the majority of Christians refraining
from participating in the Governmental institutions and seeking
instead to emigrate away from their country and to feel great
disillusionment and discontent.
It
is true to say today that the imprisonment of Dr. Geagea became the
symbol of Lebanon’s total lack in National Reconciliation. It reflects
the marginalization of one of the important constituent communities of
Lebanon in political life and decision making. Throughout the past ten
years the disillusionment of the Lebanese in general and the
Christians in particular is reaching a most dangerous level leading to
estrangement and emigration away from Lebanon: During the whole period
of the Lebanese war 300,000 Lebanese left the country, whilst in the
last decade and after the cessation of violence more than one million
and a half Lebanese emigrated…
Furthermore, the Lebanese regime became a geo-political extension and
umbrella for Islamic fundamentalism and radicalism personified by
Hezbollah and the radical Palestinians…Lebanon’s particular mission
and culture of inter-religious dialogue, openness, harmony and
cooperation is being replaced by a culture of unwonted violence,
intolerance and reverence to the suicide bomber; a new culture that is
percolating and infecting the whole region and continues to radiate
hatred and abomination.
In
the meantime, Lebanon’s example of tolerance and moderation is being
stifled by Syria’s occupation and the lack of true independent
Lebanese input into the political process by the marginalisation of
their true representatives through political imprisonment, exile and
persecution. This is compounded by continuing attacks on fundamental
Human Rights as exemplified by the beatings and persecutions of
Students, Civil Unions, Non Governmental institutions and opposition
figures.
A
moderate and open Lebanon restored to its traditional mission and
safeguarded from
malicious interference into all its affairs by an occupying force
would indeed be a close ally to
all
other minorities in the region suffering from the sequelae of Terror
and Fundamentalism. That
same
Lebanon would also regain its role “as a model” providing the moderate
Arabs with an example
spreading openness and moderation instead of incitement to suicide
bombings and struggle
against “unworthy and ungodly regimes”…
The reinstatement of Lebanon’s much needed positive role in the
present context, is most important. The
recuperation
of this moderating influence could only be regained through the
restoration of true representation and Democracy in Lebanon. This
essentially requires
the freeing of Dr. Samir Geagea and the return of all the political
exiled Cadres and leaders into Lebanon as a preamble for the
implementation of National
Reconciliation.
Taking
all the above into consideration, and at the wake of the Strategy of
Democratization of the Region embraced by the civilized world, The
Lebanese Forces urges you to take heed of the Sacrifice and struggle
of Dr. Samir Geagea and help in all possible ways by:
a)
Safeguarding Lebanon’s
National Sovereignty, true Independence and territorial integrity
through the application of the UN Resolutions (520), working towards
the withdrawal of Syrian occupying troops from Lebanese territory and
the support of UN new resolutions that are planned to call for such
withdrawal,
b)
Reinstating the essential
Freedoms within Lebanon and restoring the Political Democratic Process
based on true representation, National Reconciliation and opting for
Peace, Harmony and openness; and
c)
Pressurising the Syrian and
Lebanese Regimes into releasing Dr. Geagea, the political prisoner,
from his solitary confinement and into allowing all exiled opposition
figures to return into Lebanon.
Your urgent and most needed
efforts are fully appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
The Lebanese Forces Party
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