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Activist: Lebanon police caused Syria minor to fall to his death

January 21, 2019 at 10:01 am

Lebanese police in Beirut, Lebanon on 8 May 2017 [Ratib Al Safadi/Anadolu Agency]

A Lebanese activist has accused the Beirut municipal police of chasing and causing the death of Syrian child who works as a shoeshiner in the capital city.

The Orient TV channel said activist Mariam Majdoline Lahham posted a video on Facebook on Saturday which she said had been sent to her by the child’s relatives.

14-year-old- Syrian boy, Ahmed Zoubi

14-year-old- Syrian boy, Ahmed Zoubi

According to Lahham, Ahmed Zoubi, 14, used to work as shoeshiner in Beirut’s Tallet Al- Khayyat and often complained how police beat him and break his wooden box, before arresting him for 24 hours and then releasing him on bail.

She added that three days ago, Ahmed went missing and his family could not find him.

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“The family was able to obtain surveillance footage from As-Salam Mosque. The recordings showed the municipal police patrol chasing Ahmad into a building, then exiting the building without him. After half an hour, the patrol returned to the same place,” Lahham said.

According to Lahham, the child’s family went to the building and found their son dead as a result of a fall.

“Ahmad’s family had informed the police but were not allowed to film their son’s dead body in order to cover up the case because he is Syrian,” she added.