Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Sunday, July 13, 2025
    961
    Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok
    • Breaking News
    • Guides
    • Food & Drink
    • Listicles
    • Join the Team
    • Whatsapp
      • 961
      • 961 News
    Advertise with Us Get the App
    961
    Home»News»Opinion
    7 Mins Read

    Free Speech in Lebanon Today Has a Price Tag On It

    By Hussein YassineNovember 24, 2019Updated:May 30, 2020
    Facebook WhatsApp Copy Link

    Freedom of speech is a human right recognized in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a right that every human being is entitled to practice without being silenced.

    Unfortunately, due to the nature of the political system in Lebanon, this freedom often gets violated, sometimes behind the scenes and other times even out in public.

    This violation can appear in many faces and colors and isn’t necessarily restricted to the use of force.

    Any action, be it direct or indirect, verbal or physical, that prevents an individual or a group of individuals from freely expressing their opinions regarding any idea or person is considered a violation of human rights.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Bijan Tafazoli (@bijan.tafazzoli)

    “Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The term “freedom of expression” is sometimes used synonymously but includes any act of seeking, receiving, and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.” ~Wikipedia

    For the past 40 days, many Lebanese have been sleeping in their tents on the streets of sit-ins and waking up the next morning to resume their pacific protests against a system that has deprived them of many of their basic rights.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Dounia Raphael Aoun (@deefordiscovery)

    These people have latched on to the one right that has not yet been (fully) taken away from them, and are using what’s left of their sense of citizenship to try and reclaim what belongs to them.

    The beauty of free speech is its sacredness in the worldwide community; people around the world place a high value on this right and feel personal offense and involvement when it is violated anywhere around the globe, and often do take action to support the repressed people.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by 全民制憲 (@hkerestablishhkconstitution)

    This puts immense pressure on governments that witness massive demonstrations like the ones Lebanon is living today and prevents them from resorting to repression and force to counter the protests, for fear of the international reaction.

    However, this does not mean that international pressure is enough to ensure the complete freedom for protesters.

    As we are seeing every now and then, the Lebanese authority and its supporters are still infringing the protesters’ right to peacefully oppose it. That is a serious problem that must be addressed.

    Just this past week, we’ve seen multiple examples of these infringements take place in many forms. At around 2 PM on Sunday, November 17 for instance, Al-Jadeed news reporters got bombarded with hateful phone calls and text messages that included shameful and vulgar phrases and attacks.

    The six reporters were getting threats of physical violence, rape, and death from a huge amount of phone numbers belonging to people they don’t know.

    The disturbing messages and calls were being sent from numbers with foreign country codes in addition to the local ones.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by LAYAL SAAD (@layalsaad.a)

    The timing and identicality of the attacks are obvious proof that the numbers were massively distributed and the attacks encouraged and instructed.

    During their November 18 live appearance on Al-Jadeed to discuss the issue, four of the victims of these attacks showed a specimen of copypasta containing their names and phone numbers, which was widely shared via social media groups (mostly Whatsapp group chats) promoting abusive actions.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by رامز القاضي (@ramezelkadiofficial)

    Even while they were on live TV, their phones rang nonstop. The reporters publicly displayed some of the Whatsapp threats they were getting.

    They added that some people called them to apologize and let them know that they got their numbers from a copypasta, then consoled them and gave them emotional support.

    The channel was also recently blocked from Television by some cable distributors who individually took the decision to boycott the channel in some Lebanese areas, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, Nabatiyeh, and Tyre.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5GRDJqgHwS

    Those terrible acts are how some opposers of Al-Jadeed decided to express their disagreement with the channel’s policy.

    Whether or not the channel is biased and no matter how it handles the news, this form of feedback is not acceptable; it is disgraceful, it’s obscene, it’s absurd, and whoever uses it lacks basic human decency and deserves to be punished for it.

    If you oppose a TV news channel or any media for that matter, I got three words for you: Don’t Watch It.

    I live in the south! I criticize al jadeed .. but I want my freedom of choice .. and perhaps it’s the perfect time to switch to satellite 🙂 bye . #لبنان_ينتفص #الجديد #حرية_التعبير

    — mahab11 (@mahab113) November 21, 2019

    It’s as simple as that; it’s civil, it preserves their freedom of the press and your freedom of speech, both of which the Lebanese constitution asserts, and doesn’t cause anyone any harm.

    No one is forcing you to watch anything you dislike and everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

    You don’t have the right to assault a person for working for a channel that doesn’t agree with your political views just as that person doesn’t have the right to yell insults at your doorstep.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Speech First (@speech_first)

    If you disagree with someone, do voice your disagreement and let them know about it; free speech guarantees that right for you as it does for them. But do so while remaining civil and attack the idea, not its bearer.

    In another oppressive maneuver, five children were arrested from their homes in Hammana on Saturday evening, November 23rd. The oldest among them is 18 years old and the youngest is only 10! They were then transferred to the Lebanese Army Intelligence.

    Their capital offense? Tearing down a political poster that was hung at the Free Patriotic Movement Center. And what happened after their arrest?

    The minors were imprisoned and interrogated before being released just 9 hours later after midnight, at around 2 AM! Also, one of the kids is said to have been sick at the time of the incident.

    Of course, social media erupted as it should in response to the irresponsible, exaggerated and, dare I say it, childish behavior of those who decided that tearing down a poster was a crime worth 9 hours of imprisonment – again – for a group of minors.

    The #LebaneseRevolution frees the children of Hammana 🇱🇧✌🏻#اطفال_حمانا #ابطال_حمانا#لبنان__ينتفض #صباح_الخير pic.twitter.com/EQS7pnqtxr

    — Lebanese Bonkers (@BonkersLebanese) November 24, 2019

    Whenever I think I’ve seen the limits that the authority is willing to reach in order to defend what’s left of its name, I wake up the next day only to be amazed by how low its blows are getting. Repressing children… What’s next?

    The violence and intimidation that were, and occasionally still are, used against the peaceful protesters in various areas around Lebanon also show that the ruling class is utterly indifferent when it comes to free speech.

    If not for the international community, the nonviolent protests would have been dealt with and over a long time ago…

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by @baby_darine

    Just 10 days ago, Human Rights Watch warned that defamation laws were being used to silence critics and arrest peaceful demonstrators in Lebanon.

    Activists and protesters are sometimes getting arrested for nothing more than practicing their freedom of speech and expression.

    The addictive poison of power is pushing those who can’t let it go to the limits, because they have now grown overwhelmed by the awakeness of the people whom they had kept successfully sedated for decades.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by -2 (@minus.two2)

    Their stubbornness to remain in power, coupled with their failure to find a proper response to the masses filling the streets, has forced them to resort to the only language they’re good at; violence and oppression.

    But a revolution of pacific citizens, diligent workers, students, doctors, lawyers, and intellectuals is well-equipped to disarm physical and verbal threats, and thanks to that it will never be silenced.

    Lebanese Revolution (Thawra)
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email

    For You

    minister of information Anthony Kantara 961

    This Is What I Would Do As The Minister of Information In Lebanon

    trump lebanon 961

    What Trump Winning Could Mean for Lebanon

    war in lebanon 961

    What To Expect With The War In Lebanon In The Coming Months

    ceasefire israel hezbollah

    Why You Shouldn’t Get Your Hopes Up for a Ceasefire Between Israel and Hezbollah Anytime Soon

    $500 million under dahye hospital

    What Was Israel’s Real Intention In Exposing The Supposed $500 Million Under The Dahye Hospital?

    God Doesn’t Kill, Bad Governance Does

    lebanon jounieh cyprus by ferry 961

    You’ll Soon Be Able To Travel Between Lebanon & Cyprus By Ferry

    20 Celebrities You Probably Didn’t Know Had Lebanese Roots

    April 22, 2019

    Lebanon’s Shawarma Is Going Viral in The Philippines

    April 21, 2019
    caracalla one thousand and one nights

    Caracalla Just Added More Dates For “One Thousand and One Nights” & You Def Don’t Want To Miss It!

    July 5, 2025
    Lebanese boutiques

    25 Boutiques In Lebanon To Find Your Dream Evening Dress This Wedding Season

    June 9, 2024

    20 Typical Lebanese Slang Expressions

    April 21, 2020
    lebanese beer brands almaza beirut beer 961

    Lebanese Beer Brands Are Publicly Throwing Shade, And It’s Getting Frothy

    June 7, 2025
    Low-Cost Lebanese Airline 961

    We Might Finally Be Getting A Low-Cost Lebanese Airline – Here’s What We Know

    June 18, 2025
    whish pay lebanon 961

    You Can Now Use Whish Pay At Shopify Stores

    June 13, 2025

    How Mia Khalifa Became One Of The Most Outspoken Advocates For Lebanon

    August 13, 2020
    961 Logo
    Facebook WhatsApp TikTok Instagram

    Popular Topics

    • Guides
    • Eat & Drink
    • Listicles
    • Lebanon News
    • Diaspora
    • Explained

    961

    • About
    • WhatsApp Channel
    • News WhatsApp Channel
    • Corrections Policy
    • Ownership & Funding

    Services

    • Advertise
    • Careers
    • App Waitlist
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletter
    961™ | All Rights Reserved ©2025
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.