Nada Homsi: Freedom groups urge Lebanon to release US journalist | Media News
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International says the arrest of journalist Nada Homsi is unreasonable and she wants to be released.
Liberation groups have urged Lebanese officials to do so to release an American journalist arrested on unknown charges, calling his arrest “null and void”.
Nada Homsi was arrested on November 16 after her Beirut home was seized “without trial” and denied access to a lawyer, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
Homsi, a freelance journalist working for National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States, is still being held by General Security, a law firm, even though a Lebanese government official has ordered his release on November 25.
“General Security’s refusal to release Homsi despite government orders and abuse of power is a clear indication that the security forces are not respecting the rule of law,” said Aya Majzoub, a Lebanese researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Homsi was charged with possession of General Security drugs after he found a small amount of marijuana in his home and fined him for taking drugs, according to his lawyer Diala Chehade, but union officials continue to say he is being held for security reasons.
#LebanonGeneral Security has been detaining U.S. journalist Nada Homsi since Nov16 for “unknown security reasons”, & did not allow her to contact family / lawyer for 6 days after her arrest. His detention is not allowed and the GSO must release him immediately.https://t.co/bC0k9sOJT4 pic.twitter.com/s3tyYP8lHQ
– Aya Majzoub (@Aya_Majzoub) December 8, 2021
No security or military charges have been filed against Homsi, although General Security officials say the attack was based on security information collected by their intelligence unit, he said.
Homsi was again denied a lawyer for six days, and in violation of section 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, he was questioned in absentia, according to Chehade. Homsi was told by police that “this right does not apply to General Security”.
Under Lebanese law, a person can be detained without trial for 96 hours and must be released if no charges have been filed.
Chehade said General Security continued to detain Homsi on suspicion of operating in the country without a work permit, and the commission issued a letter of deportation about two weeks ago.
“General Security should release Homsi immediately and give him the opportunity to challenge his dismissal in a fair, independent, and trustworthy court,” said Diala Haidar, Lebanon’s Campaigner at Amnesty International.
“They should avoid detaining anyone for their migration, and should promptly identify and answer those suspected of being responsible for violating Homsi rights.”
Beaten of journalists
The imprisonment of Homsi comes at a time when militant organizations are said to be harassing journalists in Lebanon by government and non-government organizations.
According to the Samir Kassir Center for Media and Cultural Freedom (SKeyes), a Beirut-based media rights activist and journalist, more than 100 journalists have been beaten by non-governmental organizations during the riots in October 2019 and November 2021..
Civil society groups say security agencies regularly attack journalists in the line of duty, especially when protesting. Yet the response to such atrocities has not been heard, with Lebanese officials using military force silence and punishment peaceful protests or protests against security agencies.
