The Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped and missing Lebanese welcomed the decision issued by the United Nations General Assembly to form an independent institution whose mission is to reveal the fate of all detainees, missing persons and forcibly disappeared persons in Syria.
In a statement the committee hailed the UN agreement and condemned Lebanon’s vote at the UN
“We register our congratulations to the Syrian brothers, individuals and associations, who have been active for years, in order to reveal the fate of all the victims of detention and enforced disappearance, for this great achievement that they were able to achieve in the harshest and most dangerous circumstances.”
” On the other hand, we register our strong condemnation of the Lebanese official position to abstain from voting, it is a shameful position for the tens of thousands of Syrian victims, including Lebanese and others.”
The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution Thursday that will establish an independent body to determine what happened to more than 130,000 people missing as a result of the conflict in Syria.
The resolution, an important response to appeals by their families and loved ones, was adopted by the 193-member world body on a vote of 83-11 with 62 abstentions. Among those opposing the resolution was Syria, which said it will not cooperate with the new institution. Russia, China, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba and Iran also voted no.
Lebanon caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib announced that “Lebanon will abstain from voting on a draft resolution “. According to Lebanese media , Bou Habib was reportedly pressured by Hezbollah , a close ally of the Syrian dictator and Iran to vote against the resolution or abstain.
According Lebanese media reports , there are approximately thousands of Lebanese were illegally detained in Syrian prisons. Most were taken when Syrian forces occupied Lebanon during its civil war (1975-1990)
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