[3][4] In January 2015, the Economist Intelligence Unit released a report stating that Lebanon ranked second in the Middle East and 98th out of 167 countries worldwide for Democracy Index 2014.
The government acknowledged that violent abuse usually occurred during preliminary investigations conducted at police stations or military installations, in which suspects were interrogated without an attorney.
[7] On 8 December 2021, the Human Rights Watch reported that Lebanon's General Security arbitrarily detained Nada Homsi.
[8] The Syrian forces in Lebanon detained political opponents without charge for both short and long periods of time until 2005.
[9] On 29 April 2009, following a request of prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, the tribunal ordered the immediate and unconditional release of the only four suspects arrested during the investigation, for absence of reliable proof against them.
[10] There were big improvements since the withdrawal of 25,000 Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005 in what was dubbed the Cedar Revolution by the West.
"The centrality of mass protest to the post–civil war politics of the country arguably began in 2005 after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Al Hariri.
"[11] This tragic event galvanized the Lebanese people, sparking a series of mass protests that would become a defining feature of the country's politics in the years to follow.
The Lebanese anti-riot police fired gas tears canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters, and arrested more than 30 activist, who were all freed in the following days.
During two days, more than 175 protesters were wounded, and several journalists and photographers were assaulted, according to a report of Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.
Tear gas, rubber bullets and pump action pellets were fired recklessly towards the crowds, injuring more than 230 people during the protests of 8 August.
A spate of suicides by maids over a few weeks before December 2009 by hanging themselves or falling from balconies brought international attention from CNN,[15] LA Times and even resulted in the creation of a blog by a blogger simply identified as "Wissam" to the flagrant abuse in Lebanon.
While many Lebanese parties call for improving the civil rights of Palestinian refugees, others raise concerns of naturalizing the mainly Muslim population and the disruption this might cause to Lebanon's sectarian balance.
He writes that the "tendency to blame Israel for everything" has provided Arab leaders an excuse to deliberately ignore the human rights of the Palestinian in their countries.
Due to the arbitrary enrollment requirement, the harsh residency policy that makes it difficult for refugees to maintain legal status, the transportation costs that the Syrian families cannot afford and the need for additional income that encourages prioritizing child labor over receiving education, a quarter million of the Syrian children are out of school, according to the previous report published in July 2017.
The Constitution declares equality of rights and duties for all citizens without discrimination or preference but establishes a balance of power among the major religious groups.
The Government generally respected these rights; however, the constitutional provision for apportioning political offices according to religious affiliation may be viewed as inherently discriminatory.
There were, however, periodic reports of tension between religious groups, attributable to competition for political power, and citizens continued to struggle with the legacy of a 15-year civil war that was fought largely along sectarian lines.
[clarification needed] These organizations have staged a few public demonstrations, lectures, fundraisers for AIDS education, charitable events and exhibitions of films and have been interviewed by the Lebanese media.
[33] Unlike traditional pride events focusing solely on LGBTQ visibility, this march ambitiously called for civil marriage laws, challenging Lebanon's sectarian divisions and advocating for liberal values despite that the majority of its organizers were queer evangelical secularists.
"[35] This innovative approach questioned societal norms around marriage and leadership positions and cleverly critiqued religious conversion practices.
'"[36] The event's strategic navigation of public opinion and homophobia emphasized secularism over explicit LGBTQ rights advocacy to foster a broader base of support.
On 24 June 2022, Lebanese authorities banned peaceful gatherings of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
A wave of anti-LGBTI hate speech on social media by individuals and some religious groups, followed the ministry's letter, including incitement to violence, death threats, and calls to ban the scheduled events by force.