The case of Mr. Ahmad Ali Mekkaoui, a Lebanese citizen, was included in the 2019 report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/42/30, para. 78 and Annex I, paras. 103–104) after he allegedly faced reprisals following the issuance of an opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found his detention arbitrary in August 2017 (A/HRC/WGAD/2017/47, paras. 23, 34). The opinion of the Working Group was publicized on television. It was reported to OHCHR that, at the time of writing, Mr. Mekkaoui remained forbidden to make phone calls to his family, a measure in place since April 2019. His last contact with his family was when he was visited in person by a relative in October 2019. Since the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, he has been denied contact with family, who have not been able to obtain information on his condition, fate or whereabouts.

On 14 July 2020, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report, refuting that Ms. Soulayman Al-Ballushi, Ms. Alabduli, Mr. Mekkaoui, Mr. Shaker Az have been subject to arbitrary detention or torture, or been placed in solitary confinement. The Government indicated that all have received the necessary health care and that while family visits were suspended due to COVID-19, all individuals have the right to phone calls. It noted that Ms. Abdulnoor was serving her sentence for abetting terrorism because of her support to Al Qaeda when the breast cancer she had before incarceration worsened, and she died in custody under the care of the State. The Government refutes the allegations pertaining to Mr. Mansoor, who they state has received regular medical care and meals and the alleged hunger strike is not true.