Some 200 detainees are believed to be detained in the Khiam detention centre, the main detention facility of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) since 1985. Most of them are Lebanese, suspected of belonging to armed groups such as Hizbullah, hostile to Israel and the SLA. This paper describes AI’s concerns about alleged torture and ill-treatment of prisoners in Khiam. The organization is also concerned that these prisoners appear to be held outside any legal framework and, since 1988, without contact with their families. Visits by the ICRC have never been allowed. Although this prison is staffed by SLA, the available evidence suggests that Israeli officials have been directly involved in its affairs, including interrogation and torture, at least until 1988.
