Lebanese authorities must immediately dismiss a criminal complaint filed against independent media outlets Daraj Media and Megaphone News, Amnesty International said today, following news that the two independent digital media outlets have been summoned for interrogation by the Cassation Public Prosecution Office on Tuesday 15 April in connection with the complaint.
The complaint came shortly after the media outlets’ criticism of certain candidates for the governorship of the Central Bank and their calls for accountability for Lebanon’s financial and economic crises. The complaint, filed in March, was initiated by three lawyers acting in a private capacity following the media outlets’ reporting on government financial decisions, appointments, and the Central Bank. Both outlets have investigated and reported on allegations of financial mismanagement, corruption, and money laundering. The complainants accused the media outlets of “undermining the state’s financial standing, undermining confidence in the local currency, inciting the withdrawal of bank deposits and the sale of government bonds, receiving suspicious foreign financing with the aim of undermining confidence in the state, inciting strife, undermining the reputation of the state, weakening national sentiment and attacking and conspiring against the security of the state.”
“The Lebanese authorities’ decision to summon Daraj Media and Megaphone News for questioning signals a willingness to allow powerful political and financial interests to instrumentalize the criminal justice system to intimidate and harass critical voices. The authorities should be protecting press freedom, not undermining it,” said Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“The targeting of these media outlets represents a dangerous escalation in ongoing efforts to intimidate independent journalism in Lebanon and to stifle the necessary scrutiny that outlets like Daraj Media and Megaphone News have provided through their reporting of the role of powerful actors in creating and prolonging the financial and economic crisis that continues to have a devastating impact on people’s rights.
“The Lebanese authorities must immediately dismiss the complaint and ensure independent media are able to continue their work without fear of intimidation or harassment.”
The targeting of these media outlets represents a dangerous escalation in ongoing efforts to intimidate independent journalism in Lebanon and to stifle the necessary scrutiny that outlets like Daraj Media and Megaphone News have provided through their reporting
Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
The authorities’ prompt response to complaints against journalists also stands in stark contrast to the slower pace at which investigations into allegations of corruption and other misconduct, including torture, have progressed.
Moreover, the proceedings against Daraj Media and Megaphone News are flouting domestic laws regarding criminal investigations, including those establishing safeguards for journalists. Both Daraj Media and Megaphone News confirmed receiving notification of the summons through a phone call and that they were not provided with written detail of the charges being brought against them or the legal basis for their summons.
Article 147 of Lebanon’s Code of Criminal Procedure requires that summons must be provided in writing, and the document must include, among other things, the offence that is the subject of the investigation and the legal provision(s) on which it is based. Additionally, the Publications Law requires that complaints based on journalistic work are handled through the Publications Court, rather than the public prosecutor. The summons follows a broader smear and disinformation campaign over the past weeks against Daraj Media and Megaphone News led by non-state actors and entities with ties to political and economic power centers.
Amnesty International has documented a worrying increase in the use of vague legal provisions to harass and intimidate journalists, activists, and critics in Lebanon, with thousands targeted by criminal investigations since the onset of the economic crisis in 2019. The summons against Daraj and Megaphone News are yet another example of the misuse of these provisions in an attempt to suppress critical voices.