For those who may not be familiar with Itani’s story or may have forgotten, he was falsely arrested by the General Directorate of State Security in 2017, accused of espionage on behalf of Israel. During the investigation, State Security officers subjected him to severe abuse, including “beating him with electric cables, restraining his body in a stress position with an iron chain, hanging him by his wrists for hours, kicking and punching him in the face, and threatening sexual violence.” The entire case was unfounded, and Itani was eventually released after nearly four months of detention. During this time, Itani reported being held in solitary confinement, tortured, and subjected to other forms of mistreatment, while being denied access to legal counsel.

Seven years later, Itani was finally granted justice when the Shura Council ordered the Lebanese government to pay him 480 million Lebanese Liras in reparations for the harm inflicted upon him due to the authorities’ failure to prevent, prohibit, and adequately investigate his allegations of torture and mistreatment.

This marks a significant step forward in the fight against impunity for torture in Lebanon and is a victory for justice.

You can read more about it [here].