Beirut, 16/08/2010

Press release

SKeyes stresses the need to adhere to proper legal procedures in dealing

with journalists

Last week closed with the summoning of the journalist Hassan Alleq by the
Directorate of Intelligence in the Lebanese Army, against the backdrop of an
article he published in Al-Akhbar newspaper. In the article, he mentioned
that “when Ghassan al-Jedd was going to be arrested after being suspected
by Hezbollah of collaborating with the Israeli intelligence, the Army chief
General Jean Qahwaji informed Defence Minister Elias Murr; the minister
then asked for the arrest to be postponed. However, al-Jedd travelled on the
next day, outside of the country”.
With the beginning of this week, the issue has ended at the level of legal
investigations, with Alleq signing a bail bond after being summoned by the
General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza on 12 August.
Away from the controversy raised by this issue both at the political and press
scenes, and from what regards the etiquette and ethics of the profession
while practicing media freedoms, the method with which Alleq was brought
and questioned is unacceptable, and it violates the law as no defence lawyer
was present with him. This is despite the fact that the norms in place require
that no journalists be questioned by any party other than a judge, with the
presence of a lawyer, which was rejected by the Directorate of Intelligence
after Al-Akhbar’s appeals, as the latter mentioned later.
The SKeyes Centre for Media and Cultural Freedoms, with the legal issue
having ended at this point, calls on those concerned to adhere to the laws and
regulations in place, especially in terms of following the proper legal
procedures in dealing with journalists and the media.

Samir Kassir Foundation, Aref Saghieh Bldg.( Ground Floor), 63, Zahrani St., Sioufi, Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
Tel /Fax: 00961 1 397334, Mobile: 00961 3 372717, E-Mail Address: info@skeyesmedia.org