Sectarian representation in municipal elections remains divisive in key towns
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
14 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Michel Pharaon launches initiative to disarm Beirut militias
Former Minister Michel Pharaon launched an initiative Friday to disarm militias in Beirut, ahead of a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday that will focus on restoring the state's monopoly over weapons. The initiative is clearly aimed at Hezbollah, even though the former minister did not explicitly name the party during his press conference in Beirut. "We are launching the 'Demilitarized Metropolitan Beirut' initiative, a move that should bring significant benefits to Lebanon, strengthen it, protect the southern suburb and ensure the security of the port and airport," Pharaon said. "I am calling to start with the disarmament of Beirut, because of the benefits it would bring and in order to remove the capital from any risk of attack, while the disarmament of the South and Bekaa is dragging on and facing obstacles," he added. "There is a fear of a return to war, but Lebanon has friends who help it defend its rights. The actions of the Israeli army are no longer acceptable," he continued. Since the cease-fire decreed at the end of November, which ended more than a year of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been bombing southern Lebanon almost daily, sometimes extending its strikes to the Bekaa or Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel claims to be targeting men or equipment belonging to Hezbollah. While Israel reproaches the party for not handing over its weapons to the Lebanese state, Hezbollah, for its part, accuses the Israeli army of failing to respect its withdrawal commitments, still occupying several strategic points in southern Lebanon. "There will be no investment in Lebanon without guarantees in terms of security and justice. Today, we are trying to build a state according to the compass set out by the president of the republic in his inaugural address, but some parties still want to block this process," Pharaon also said. Just days before the fifth anniversary of the deadly explosion at Beirut's port, the former minister expressed hope that the indictment set to be issued by investigative judge Tarek Bitar will soon be published. "Major obstacles still stand before Judge Bitar and we are still living under the grip of the same system," he concluded.
L'Orient-Le Jour
14 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Hacking Lebanese Politics #18: Inside the victims' families' fight for justice after Aug. 4
Almost five years have passed since the Beirut port explosion. Nearly 250 people were killed. Thousands were injured. A city was torn apart. The fight for justice is still dragging. While the investigation at home stalled, the families of the victims kept going. They turned their grief into legal action. They filed cases, challenged politicians and called on the international community to act. So what have the families actually managed to do? What legal steps have they taken? And how close are they to getting the answers they deserve? Let's break it down. 1. How did it all start? Who brought the families together, and what's the deal with the Association? Two months after the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion, with no answers or accountability, only grief and silence, the victims' families came together around action. In Oct. 2020, they formed the Committee for the Families of the Victims of the Aug. 4 Explosion, also known as the Families' Association. It came together right after hundreds (700+) of criminal complaints were filed. That moment marked the shift from shock and loss to a focused fight for justice. From the start, their demands were clear: 1. Justice for the victims 2. Full accountability for those responsible 3. Protection of the rights of victims and their families, under both Lebanese and international law 4. Full compensation for all losses 5. A seat at the table in government discussions, public forums and international aid efforts 6. An independent investigation led by the United Nations Human Rights Council 7. Preservation of the port grain silos as a memorial site 8. Recognition and compensation for the injured, including the hundreds of people who became permanently disabled as a result of the explosion The Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities (LPHU) has since joined the families in their demands. Around 800 people were left with life-altering disabilities, including at least 20 children. One of the first voices to speak out was Ibrahim Hoteit, whose brother died in the explosion. For a while, he was the face of the movement, rallying families and pushing for their demands. But in late 2021, he changed course. He released a video calling for the removal of Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator on the case. Many allege that the group he now represents (The Committee for the Gathering of the Victims and Injured of the Beirut Port Explosion), was formed under pressure from Hezbollah and its allies, two of whose members are facing charges in the investigation. In Jan. 2025, after President Joseph took office, Bitar resumed the port blast probe and summoned a dozen officials. Before the names of those summoned were made public, the Committee led by Hoteit met with Prosecutor Jamal Hajjar to submit documents and criticized Bitar for excluding certain names, including that of former director of customs, Raymond Khoury. But Khoury was already on the list of people summoned, released shortly after. Most families backed Bitar and saw him as their best hope for justice. Since then, other voices have stepped in. Cécile Roukoz, who lost her brother Elias, now represents the association publicly. Paul and Tracy Najjar, the parents of three-year-old Alexandra Najjar, and William Noun, whose brother Joe was one of the firefighters killed, have also stayed at the forefront. Together, they continue to speak out, organize, and push for justice. 2. What legal steps have the victims' families actually taken In Jan. 2025, just days after President Joseph Aoun took office, Judge Tarek Bitar resumed the Beirut port probe. His work had been frozen since early 2023, after political pressure and a decision by former top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat barred the judiciary and security forces from cooperating with him. But this did not stop the families in their fight for justice. Here's a quick timeline of the major cases they filed, in Lebanon and internationally: Nov. 2020 Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) submitted a report to the United Nations on behalf of victims' families. It called for an independent fact-finding mission, citing a lack of judicial independence in Lebanon and patterns of corruption and intimidation. Mar. 2021 The Beirut Bar Association (BBA), representing nearly 1,400 victims' families, began filing lawsuits in Lebanese courts. Many of them targeted officials accused of obstructing Judge Tarek Bitar's investigation through abusive legal action. Aug. 2021 The BBA and three families filed a civil suit in the UK against Savaro Ltd., the company believed to have delivered the ammonium nitrate to Beirut. The UK High Court later blocked the firm's attempts to dissolve. July 2022 Victims filed a $250 million lawsuit in Texas against U.S.–Norwegian geophysical company TGS, believed to be linked to the nitrate shipment. The case is still ongoing and backed by Swiss NGO Accountability Now. It includes nine U.S. plaintiffs, including Sarah Copland, whose son Isaac [a U.S. citizen] was one of the youngest victims. 2022 (Lebanon) A rare breakthrough: Judge Najah Aitani issued a precautionary seizure order worth L.L.100 billion on the assets of MPs Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter. The case was filed by the BBA and marked one of the few legal actions that directly targeted sitting MPs. In 2022 as well, the BBA accusation office and the victims' families filed three lawsuits before the State Shura Council to appeal the Mikati government's decision to demolish the silos. Feb. 2023 (UK) The High Court ruled in favor of the families in the Savaro Ltd. case, ordering the company to pay compensation for its role in the blast.(No one has received any payment so far). June 2023 Survivors and families sent letters to the U.N. Human Rights Council, asking for support for an international investigation. Over 160 organizations signed on, backing the demand for global accountability. July 2025 Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the blast, families met with Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh with regard to the preservation of silos, as well as Information Minister Paul Morcos. They also met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Justice Minister Adel Nassar (three times). They renewed their calls for justice, preservation of the grain silos as a memorial, and a unified national media campaign. A press conference and protest march are planned for Aug. 4, 2025. 3- What's new in the major case handled by Bitar? When the investigation resumed, Bitar filed charges against 12 senior officials from the port, customs, and General Security. He questioned former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk. He also summoned Hezbollah and Amal-affiliated MP Ghazi Zeaiter, who refused to attend two scheduled hearings. Oueidat, the same prosecutor who blocked the case for more than two years, was also summoned. He did not appear. Twice. Bitar has postponed further action until the indictment is issued. On July 4, the families held their latest monthly sit-in near the port. And now, they are preparing for a major protest on Aug. 4, five years after the explosion. They announced a public march, starting from the Quarantine fire station. They called on people across the country to wear black and show up. They organized buses to bring people in from different regions. They called on the Lebanese diaspora to mobilize abroad.
L'Orient-Le Jour
14 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Meeting between Yassine Jaber, Midel entrepreneurs
A delegation from the board of directors of the International Union of Lebanese Businessmen and Businesswomen (Midel) met with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber to discuss several issues of concern to the private sector, according to a statement released Friday. Chaired by Fuad Zmokhol, the delegation raised "the law regarding end-of-service indemnities, the implementation decrees concerning the revaluation of assets, and the regularization project up to the year 2021." Regarding end-of-service indemnities, the delegation called on the minister to promote a solution that fairly distributes the burden of their funding among the state, businesses and employees. "It is not possible for employers to assume the state's losses nor to pay, for the third time, the price of the National Social Security Fund's bankruptcy ... It is necessary to engage in sincere negotiation and cooperation among social partners in order to reach an agreement on this complex issue," Zmokhol added. In Lebanon, end-of-service indemnities are funded by employers, who pay a percentage of the salary each month via the NSSF. Part of the contributed amounts was devalued by the depreciation of the Lebanese pound, which occurred after the crisis that began in 2019. Midel also raised the tax repercussions of the revaluation of company assets related to this same depreciation, demanding a fairer solution than the one currently in place.
