Murder of Syrian Refugee Mohammed Abdul Jawad in Lebanon is Terrorist Act

Press release

Syrian Coalition

Media Department

April 27, 2018

The Syrian Coalition condemns the savage assault on Syrian refugee Mohammed Abdul Jawad by a member of the Lebanese Army. Abdul Jawad died on Tuesday of the serious injuries he sustained during the physical assault.

Abdul Jawad was forced to leave his hometown of Al-Qusair in rural Homs after it was occupied by the Hezbollah militia in 2013. The Lebanese militia killed four of his brothers and prevented him and local residents of the town from returning to their homes. Abdul Jawad used to support eight children along with his wife.

The assault took place when Abdul Jawad, who used to work as a bus driver for a kindergarten, pulled off to drop a child at his house. A Lebanese soldier who was driving behind Abdul Jawad stepped out of his car along with a passenger, grabbed Abdul Jawad out of the bus and beat him severely with a stick until he lost consciousness. Abdul Jawad died of sever cerebral hemorrhage on Thursday.

The alarmingly increasing racist attacks against Syrian refugees in Lebanon coincided with irresponsible statements by some officials of the Lebanese government against Syrian refugees. Moreover, no investigations were launched into previous attacks on Syrian refugees, some of which targeted children.

The Coalition calls on Arab and international human rights organizations to seriously look into the repeated attacks on Syrian refugees by the Lebanese Army, Lebanese security forces, and the militias operating outside the framework of law. The Coalition urges the Lebanese government to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and ensure protection for Syrian refugees. Vicious attacks on Syrian refugees must be investigated and the perpetrators must be held accountable in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.