Crackdowns on activists on social media have escalated because of criticisms and comments against Lebanese officials. People are being questioned by the security services because of views and positions posted on their social media pages, criticizing President Michel Aoun, Hezbollah and other influential figures.
Angered by the state measures, a group of activists will take part in a sit-in on Tuesday evening in central Beirut to reject what they call as “the policy of intimidation, the silencing of mouths and the restrictions on public freedoms.”
Summonses and lengthy interrogation sessions with activists did not stop statements strongly attacking officials.
During the past week, the Anti-Crime Office of the Internal Security Forces and the General Security Service summoned activists including Imad Bazzi, for his criticism of the Eden Bay tourist project, which is being built on the shore of Ramlet al-Bayda.
Bazzi failed to attend the interrogation session on Friday as he was undergoing a surgery. Another activist, Elie Khoury, was summoned to a similar hearing before being contacted and informed of the cancellation of the session.
In his tweets, Khoury criticized Aoun and said the purpose of the summons is "to intimidate Lebanese youth."
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said: “I have spoken to let the President of the Republic know the difficult reality and the suffering of young people in this country, and not to abuse him or attack his position.”
“What I said does not mean revolution, but an expression of the grief felt by every Lebanese, and the campaign of summons does not scare me,” he noted.
A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the judiciary “acts immediately when it receives tweets or remarks against the president who represents the country,” stressing that the investigation was conducted under the supervision of the Attorney General, Judge Samir Hamoud.
