UN human rights investigators begin work in Lebanon in ‘first of its kind’ mission
NEW YORK: A team of UN human rights investigators is on the ground in Lebanon collecting evidence on violations committed by all parties to the conflict since March 2, after Beirut granted guarantees for the mission’s deployment, a spokesman for the UN Human Rights Office told Arab News.
“Our team is currently working in Lebanon after having received the necessary guarantees from the government of Lebanon,” OHCHR spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said.
“Their work entails interviews with victims of human rights violations, witnesses, civil society representatives, human rights defenders and other relevant actors.”
The mission, whose deployment was announced by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on June 10, will seek access to areas hit by hostilities on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border, Al-Kheetan said, adding that “the security and safety of our team and our interlocutors are obviously paramount.”
