The summons of LebTalks’ website founder and journalist Christiane Gemayel by the Lebanese Cybercrime Bureau on Monday sparked strong reactions from NGOs and political parties defending freedom of the press.
Everyone who commented on this summons reiterated, once again, that this bureau is not competent to question journalists about facts related to their profession.
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The association “Journalists for Freedom” reiterated their “rejection of journalists appearing before any security body, in accordance with Articles 28 and 29 of the Press Law,” under which the media operates.
As stipulated in the Press Law, “only the Press Court is competent for press offenses in accordance with Articles 28 and 29,” the association recalled in a statement released Friday.
It also expressed its solidarity with Christiane Gemayel and any other journalist summoned in violation of the law by the Lebanese Cybercrime Bureau.
This sentiment was echoed by political parties. The Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Future Movement firmly rejected “the summons of Christiane Gemayel before the Lebanese Cybercrime Bureau,” considering in their turn that “the sole body authorized to summon journalists is the Press Court.”
Furthermore, the press office of the Future Movement urged the Ministry of Information, as well as the Press Order and the Syndicate of Editors, “to take the necessary steps with political, judicial, and security authorities to put an end to these summons, which have recently been repeated against journalists and media professionals.”
