According to information found on the Website of the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, located in Bkerke, Lebanon, the Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir visited the Chouf region and Jezzine from 3-8 August 2001 (n.d.). The following towns and villages were visited: Naameh, Damour and Deir El Kamar on 3 August, Moukhtara and Jezzine on 4 August and Deir El Kamar on 5 August 2001 (ibid.).

The Patriarch's visit was the "first visit of a Maronite patriarch to the Shouf in 200 years" and was characterized by the The Boston Globe as "a triumphant three-day tour" in which Sfeir and Walid Jumblatt, the Druze leader of Chouf region, sought reconciliation and an end to sectarianism (6 Aug. 2001). Agence France Presse (AFP) also reported that Sfeir's three-day visit was aimed at healing the "Christian-Druze feud" (6 Aug. 2001). Both Sfeir and Jumblatt are reported to be "the most vocal foes of Syria's military presence in Lebanon and its political dominance over the country" (AFP 8 Aug. 2001). Human Rights Watch, in its World Report 2002, also refers to Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir as "a leading critic of Syrian dominance over Lebanon" (2002).

Few details of Sfeir's tour within the Chouf region were found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. According to Associated Press (AP), "thousands [had] turned out to welcome him on his many stops in mountain towns and villages" (7 Aug. 2001). Agence France Presse (AFP) reported that, at one point, Sfeir intervened to "calm a crowd of militants shouting slogans for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon" (8 Aug. 2001).

Sources referred to arrests in August 2001 by the Lebanese army (HRW 2002; AI 2002; Country Reports 2001 2002), and two reports linked these arrests to Sfeir's visit to the Chouf region (AP 7 Aug. 2001; Financial Times 9 Aug 2001). AP reported that the arrests:

... came two days after Christian supporters demanded that Syria pull its 25,000 soldiers out of Lebanon during rallies to welcome Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, on a visit to the central mountain region (7 Aug. 2001).

The Financial Times characterized the arrests as a "crackdown" which

... followed a visit of reconciliation by Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronites, Lebanon's largest Christian sect, to the Chouf mountains, where rivalry between Christians and Druze led to terrible massacres in the civil war (9 Aug. 2001).

Christian supporters of exiled General Michel Aoun and imprisoned leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea (Ja'Ja, various spellings), were reportedly targeted in the arrests (Country Reports 2001 2002 Sec. 2b; AP 7 Aug. 2001; Financial Times 9 Aug. 2001; HRW 2002). Reports of the number of those arrested vary, including "between 150 and 200" (AFP 8 Aug. 2001), "140 members of opposition Christian groups" (Financial Times 9 Aug. 2001), "more than 100 citizens" (Country Reports 2001 2002, Sec. 1d), and "over 200" (AI 2002; HRW 2002). According to AP, arrests took place on 7 August 2001 when Lebanese troops entered both offices of the disbanded Lebanese Forces and of General Aoun's followers in Antelias (7 Aug. 2001).

A demonstration to protest these arrests was reportedly held outside of the Justice Ministry on 9 August 2001 (Country Reports 2001 2002, Sec. 2b). Please refer to Country Reports 2001 for details of the treatment of demonstrators by "plainclothes intelligence agents," which included the use of "heavy force to suppress the demonstration" (ibid.). Country Reports 2001 also contains the most detailed account of the outcome of the August arrests found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate: of those detained in the initial series of arrests, three remained in custody at the end of 2001 (2002, Sec. 1d), while all of those arrested on 9 August 2001 during the Justice Ministry demonstration "were released within 2 days" (ibid., Sec. 2b). Further:

Authorities referred at least 77 of those supporters of General Michel 'Awn and Samir Ja'Ja who were arrested by security forces in August to both military and civilian courts. Charges brought by the Military Prosecutor's Office included opposing the policy of the Government, disseminating the principles of an unauthorized political party, jeopardizing the country's relations with a friendly state, using oral and written statements not authorized by the Government, defaming the Syrian army's reputation, organizing meetings and activities of an unauthorized political party, and transmitting false and exaggerated information. Tawfiq Hindi, Ja'Ja's former political advisor, who authorities arrested in August, was charged with collaborating with the Israeli enemy, forming an association to harm the State's authority, and damaging the country's relation with a sisterly nation. He faces a maximum sentence of death if convicted. The Court of Cassation ruled in September that the military court did not have jurisdiction in 63 of the cases, which were transferred to a criminal court. The cases of Nadim Lteif and Hikmat Deeb, who were charged with defaming the Lebanese and Syrian armies, were referred to both military and civilian courts. Court sessions have been scheduled for February 2002.

On August 8, nine supporters of General Michel 'Awn were convicted by the Permanent Military Tribunal for distributing illegal flyers and defamation against the Head of State. Sentences varied from between 5 to 45 days (Country Reports 2001 2002, Sec. 1e).

Reports of what happened to those who had been arrested and the court sessions scheduled for February 2002 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Please see LBN39595.E of 18 July 2002 for further information on the treatment of members and supporters of the Lebanese Forces.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 8 August 2001. Nayla Razzouk. "Lebanon Army Intelligence Arrests Ignite Wave of Anger." (NEXIS)

_____. 6 August 2001. Salim Yassine. "Lebanese Press and Leaders Toast Christian Leader's Tour of Healing." (NEXIS)

Amnesty International (AI). 2002. Annual Report 2002. http://web.amnesty.org/web/ar2002.nsf/mde/lebanon!Open#bottom [Accessed 6 Nov. 2002]

Associated Press (AP). 7 August 2001. Sam F. Ghattas. "100 Arrested in Lebanese Army Sweep Against Christian Anti-Syrian Groups." (NEXIS)

The Boston Globe. 6 August 2001. Charles A. Radin. "In Lebanon, a Call for Peace. A Christian Leader Reaches Out to Druze." (NEXIS)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 2002. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/nea/8270.htm [Accessed 5 Nov. 2001]

Financial Times [London]. 9 August 2001. Gareth Smyth. "Army Arrests Spark Lebanon Unrest. Political Divisions: Detention of 140 Opposition Christians Raises Concerns about Syrian Influence." (NEXIS)

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 2002. Human Rights Watch World Report 2002. http://hrw.org/wr2k2/mena.html [Accessed 6 Nov. 2002]

The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Bkerke, Lebanon. n.d. "Event of the Month: His Beatitude Mar Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir's Visit to Chouf and Jezzine." http://www.bkerke.org.lb/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2002]

IRB Databases

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites, including:

International Maronite Foundation

International Religious Freedom Report for 2002, U.S. Department of State

Middle East and Jewish Studies, Columbia University