On 28 June 1995, Beirut’s Publications Court sentenced Hassan Sabra, the publisher of “Al-Shira'” magazine and Ghazi al-Maqhur, the weekly’s managing editor, to one month in prison each. The two were convicted of publishing “material that was damaging to the person and dignity of the head of state and that contained statements slandering him and […]
On 28 June 1995, Beirut’s Publications Court sentenced Hassan
Sabra, the publisher of “Al-Shira'” magazine and Ghazi al-Maqhur,
the weekly’s managing editor, to one month in prison each. The
two were convicted of publishing “material that was damaging to
the person and dignity of the head of state and that contained
statements slandering him and some other officials.” The charges
stemmed from an editorial published in “Al-Shira'” on 25 November
1991 entitled “Reform or Resign.”
On 26 June, the Publications Court sentenced Youssef al-Howeyyek,
the editor legally responsible for the daily “Al- Diyar”
newspaper, to three months in prison for slandering a member of
parliament. The conviction stemmed from an article, published on
27 November 1994, that suggested that Saoud Rouphael, a deputy
from the eastern Bekaa valley, was involved in the drug trade.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to Lebanese authorities:
effect on press freedom in Lebanon
al-Howeyyek, and the very institution of criminal libel are
violations of Article 19 of the United Nations’ Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which upholds the right of
individuals “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers”
against Sabra, al-Maqhur and al-Howeyyek are withdrawn
that will aim at abolishing criminal libel, as only such a move
will permit Lebanon to reestablish its reputation as the
“parliament of the Arabs”–the country with the freest media in
the Middle East
Appeals To
His Excellency Elias Hrawi
President of the Republic of Lebanon
c/o Embassy of Lebanon
2560 28th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
His Excellency Rafiq Hariri
Prime Minister of the Republic of Lebanon
c/o Embassy of Lebanon
2560 28th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
or c/o the Lebanese diplomatic representative in your country
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
