Kenyan women who were caught on tape being violently assaulted by Lebanon military officials have been deported.
The women identified as Chamila Cheban Nabwayo and Winnierose Wambui Wanjiru are said to have been working full-time in domestic service.
Reports by The Daily Star, a Lebanon publication, indicate that contrary to a previous decision by the Lebanese authorities to keep the two until a case on their nationality got concluded, Nabwayo has already been deported.
[caption caption="A screenshot of the brutal attack against Chamila Cheban Nabwayo and Winnierose Wambui Wanjiru"]
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Amnesty International had raised concern over the plan to deport Nabwayo to Kenya after the attack in Burj Hammoud without her having access to a lawyer.
Besides, the human rights body had raised issue with the possible denial of a fair opportunity for Nabwoyo to settle her situation or testify in the trial of the aggressor in the military court.
However, Nirmeen Sibai, Nabwayo’s legal representative has revealed that the decision to deport the Kenyan citizen was made and sealed right from the beginning despite the objection.
"They had taken the decision, but they just told the public that they hadn’t. (On Friday), we heard they got the plane ticket, and she was deported yesterday (Sunday), despite all the grounds to keep her here in order to have a fair trial," Sibai stated.
According to the lawyer, the deportation was carried out on grounds that Nabwayo’s residency status in Lebanon had been under the Kafala (sponsorship) system that has been widely criticized for facilitating employer abuse.
"Nabwoyo didn’t live with her Kafeel (legal sponsor). This is one of the conditions for a domestic worker to be legally in the country," Sibai indicated.
[caption caption="Past riots in Lebanon over mistreatment of foreigners"]
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The caretaker Justice Minister Salim Jreissati had termed the attack as an act of "abhorrent racism" although Sibai noted that the authorities were treating the women as suspects with no differentiation made between them and their alleged attackers.
