Judge Tarek Bitar questions udges Jad Maalouf and Carla Chawah in Beirut Port explosion case
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LBCI
4 hours ago
- LBCI
‘Where is the state?': Fear grips Maameltein amid rising crime
Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian It's a situation any girl or woman walking along the coastal road in Maameltein might face. Simply passing through this notorious street can expose her to harassment — a growing burden on local residents and families living in the area. According to residents and local municipalities, criminal networks have turned what was once a tourist strip into a hotspot for illicit activity, including prostitution, drug trafficking and the spread of illegal weapons. Inside an abandoned hotel, illegal activities are reportedly taking place, confirmed by local community leaders who say municipal authorities alone are unable to raid the premises. Around the area, groups of women involved in sex work can be seen along the road day and night — a trade that thrives alongside drug sales. Just weeks ago, the municipality caught a drug dealer using cocaine along the stretch of the road that falls under Jounieh's jurisdiction. But that's not all. If you're simply passing through Maameltein, you could be struck by a bullet fired in a moment of rage by someone intoxicated or armed and outside the law — like individuals captured in a video, filmed early Sunday morning. The stabbing of two locals, George and Liliane, has added to this grim reality. In response, a group called the Guards of Ghadir has called for a protest this coming Wednesday. One of the core problems is that the Ghazir municipality lacks sufficient police personnel. It is currently relying on local volunteers to secure night patrols, while the Keserwan Ftouh Federation is working to establish a new security committee. But even when municipalities notify security forces about illegal activity, arrests are often not made — either due to overcrowded detention centers or, if a suspect is detained, they are quickly released. This pattern suggests that these gangs enjoy both political and security protection. As for Maameltein and its residents, it is the state's duty to provide them with safety and peace of mind.
L'Orient-Le Jour
10 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aug. 4 inquiry, Gaza war: Metropolitan Audi slams leaders' silence
BEIRUT — Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Audi on Sunday criticized leaders for staying silent about the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion, as a judge nears issuing an indictment after recent hearings. Among those summoned, two refused to appear before Judge Tarek Bitar: former minister Ghazi Zeaiter, cited over the unloading and storage of the ammonium nitrate that caused the blast while he was Public Works and Transport minister — which oversees the port — and former prosecutor-general Ghassan Oueidat. Recalling that Lebanon will mark in a few days the fifth anniversary of the Aug. 4 disaster, which left more than 220 dead and 6,500 wounded, Archbishop Audi criticized the fact that 'many are those who close their eyes to truth and justice and remain silent out of fear, cowardice, complicity or personal interest.' Bitar's investigation has been stymied, since its launch in 2021, by numerous lawsuits and objections filed against him by various officials he has prosecuted. 'Is it permissible to starve people' in Gaza? From St. George's Cathedral in downtown Beirut, the metropolitan also condemned the silence of leaders in the face of the region being 'submerged in blood and tears.' 'The world is blind; it does not see the deaths of children or the suffering of innocents because it is steeped in evil and sin, and far from God,' he said. 'Is it permissible to starve people, to displace them from their land or to kill them? What has blinded the eyes of the world's leaders and silenced their conscience to the point that they remain silent about what is happening on the land of Christ?' he added, alluding to the ongoing bloody Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands dead, and to the enclave's blockade amid cries of famine. Numerous organizations have in recent days warned of a rise in cases of malnutrition, mainly among children, while the international community has pressured Israel to allow in aid, which finally took place to a limited extent Sunday with air drops and permission for trucks to enter the besieged territory from the Egyptian side of the border.
LBCI
12 hours ago
- LBCI
Iran executes two members of opposition group for attacking infrastructure
Iran executed two members of the banned Mujahideen-e-Khalq group for attacking civilian infrastructure with homemade projectiles, the judiciary news outlet Mizan said on Sunday, amid criticism from Amnesty International over a "grossly unfair" trial. Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani-Eslamloo, identified as "operational elements" of the MEK, were sentenced to death in September 2024 - a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court, which denied their request for a retrial, Mizan said. "The terrorists, in coordination with MEK leaders, had ... built launchers and hand-held mortars in line with the group's goals, fired projectiles heedlessly at citizens, homes, service and administrative facilities, educational and charity centres," the report said. Maryam Rajavi, who leads the National Council of Resistance of Iran, of which the MEK is the main force, paid tribute to the pair. "Honour to these steadfast Mojahedin who, after three years of unwavering resistance under torture, pressure, and threats, fulfilled their solemn pledge to God and the people with pride and dignity." The defendants were indicted with "moharebeh" - an Islamic term meaning waging war against God - destroying public property, and "membership in a terrorist organisation with the aim of disrupting national security." Amnesty International said that Ehsani-Eslamloo and Hassani were arrested in 2022 and maintained their innocence during a trial, which the rights group called "grossly unfair and marred by allegations of torture and forced confessions.' "According to informed sources, agents interrogated them without lawyers present and subjected them to torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings and prolonged solitary confinement, to extract self-incriminating statements," it said in January. Reuters
