Amnesty Slams Lebanon Failure To Address Public Demands

Amnesty International on Saturday urged Lebanese authorities to investigate

and hold accountable officers involved in the suppression of protesters during October 2019 demonstrations.

"The [Lebanese]

authorities have not only failed to address people's legitimate demands for

their social and economic rights, but have also increasingly resorted to

repressing the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression," the

London-based rights group said in a report on the first anniversary of the Oct. 17, 2019 Lebanese

protests over the deterioration of the country's economic situation.

Amnesty accused Lebanese

security forces of resorting to excessive use of force against peaceful

protesters, adding that the most brutal crackdown took place following the Aug.

4 explosion at Beirut's port when the Lebanese army and unknown gunmen opened

fire at protesters leading to the injury of 230 people.

"Instead of

focusing on addressing the legitimate demands that sparked the protests, the

authorities have sought to intimidate and silence activists and critics," the

watchdog said.

The announcement of

additional taxes on Oct. 17, 2019 sparked mass demonstrations across Lebanon

in protest of the deterioration of living conditions and widespread

corruption among the country's ruling elites.

*Ahmed Asmar

contributed to this report from Ankara -