BEIRUT: Physical attacks on
journalists in Lebanon were the most striking violation of media freedom during
July, the watchdog SKeyes said in its weekly report issued Thursday.
The watchdog includes details of
eight separate attacks on journalists throughout the month: on July 19, MTV
correspondent Haytham Khawand and cameraman Jad Abou Antoun were beaten while
covering a protest organized by supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement in
front of the Energy Ministry, while OTV correspondent Edmond Sassine and
photographer Roland Khoury were subsequently attacked while trying to help
protect their colleagues.
SKeyes also denounces the beating by
security services of Al-Diyar correspondent, Mahmoud al-Zayat and Al-Bina
journalist, Jamal al-Gharbi, in Sidon on July 26 and the attempted attack by
protesters on an MTV assistant photographer filming an FPM protest in Ashrafieh
on the same day.
Also, the report adds, Abdel-Aziz
Tarekji, the chairman of the Board of the Palestinian Association for Human
Rights, Rased, was assaulted in Sidon.
Other media violations recorded by
the watchdog throughout July include the removal of a painting by Lebanese
artist Zeina al-Khalil from the Beirut Art Fair in BIEL, following pressure
exerted by Hezbollah members July 7.
The painting depicted Hezbollah
leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah.
The monthly report also mentions the
removal, by U.S. companies Apple and Google, of the Al-Manar application from
their app stories. The channel is affiliated with Hezbollah, which is
blacklisted in the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
Elsewhere, the report adds, Ibrahim al-Amin,
chief editor of Al-Akhbar newspaper, was transferred to the Publications Court
for libel and slander on July 7 and Wissam Alaeddine, one of the suspects in
the attack on the Al-Jadeed TV building in June remains in custody.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-10/184097-watchdog-denounces-recent-media-freedom-violations.ashx#axzz238APN8rW
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