Lebanon's Media Under Siege: The Battle for Press Freedom

In the heart of Beirut, a quiet battle is being waged. It is not one of guns or bombs, but of words and legal summons. The latest skirmish involves NAQD journalists Antoni Barakat and Taline Nohra, who were summoned to the Cybercrime Bureau in relation to a report concerning banker Antoun Sahnawi. Sahnawi, who has filed lawsuits against more than ten journalists from five different media outlets, is accusing them of reporting on alleged financial malpractices by SGBL and the Lebanese banking sector. This is not an isolated incident; it is part of a broader trend where legal complaints filed by individuals with significant financial, political, or judicial influence are used to intimidate and silence journalists.

The legal representative of Barakat and Nohra, attorney Farouk Al-Maghrabi, was notified on July 7 that the Beirut Prosecutor Judge reversed his decision to summon the journalists for interrogation at the Cybercrime Bureau the following day. This development came after the IFJ-affiliate, the Union of Journalists in Lebanon (UJL), submitted a legal memorandum on behalf of the journalists, requesting that the complaint filed by Sahnawi be referred to the Publications Court – the judicial body legally authorized to handle matters related to publishing and freedom of expression. If the decision had not been reversed, it would have been the first time in two years that journalists in Lebanon were subjected to interrogation by a security agency.

According to the country’s legislation, cases that involve journalists prosecuted for carrying out their duties, including defamation cases, must be referred to the Publications Court. However, the judiciary – and public prosecutors in particular – have increasingly resorted to systematic and arbitrary summons of journalists through security agencies, such as Lebanon’s Anti-Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Rights Bureau, an Internal Security Forces unit. UJL President Elsy Moufarrej told the IFJ: “These practices are placing journalists at risk of coercive measures, including pressure to delete published content or sign unlawful pledges not to report on certain figures who hold significant political, financial, or institutional power, or to refrain from investigating corruption cases. […] We reiterate our call on the judiciary, and public prosecutors in particular, to respect the legal protections afforded to journalists under Lebanese law by referring all related cases exclusively to the Publications Court. This is essential to uphold the independence of the press and safeguarding fundamental freedoms.”

The IFJ General Secretary added: “We praise the courage of our Lebanese colleagues who stood tall and acted in a united manner to defend the right of journalists not to appear before security agencies. The IFJ stands in full solidarity with them. We strongly condemn any legal action targeting journalists as a direct attempt to intimidate them and to obstruct their reporting. We urge the Lebanese authorities to uphold the legal protections afforded to journalists under the country’s legislation and to abide by press freedom and the public’s right to know.”

The implications of these legal complaints against journalists are far-reaching. They create a chilling effect on the media sector, deterring journalists from investigating corruption and malpractices. This, in turn, undermines the public’s right to know and erodes trust in institutions. The economic crisis in Lebanon, which has led to the closure of over 70% of newspapers and magazines since 2016, exacerbates this situation. Hundreds of journalists have become unemployed, and many have not been paid for several months. The Lebanese Journalists Syndicate (LJS) has been trying since 2017 to remove the regulatory restrictions on its ability to organize journalists from across sectors, but the government continues to refuse to adopt the proposed changes.

The situation in Lebanon is a stark reminder of the importance of press freedom and the need for legal protections for journalists. It is a battle that goes beyond the borders of Lebanon, as it affects the global fight for transparency and accountability. The increasing legal complaints against journalists in Lebanon are not just about individual cases; they are about the future of journalism and the right of citizens to be informed. The Lebanese authorities must take urgent action to uphold the legal protections afforded to journalists under the country’s legislation and to abide by press freedom and the public’s right to know. The international community must also stand in solidarity with Lebanese journalists and support their fight for press freedom.