Workplace rape accusation, domestic abuse law controversy, Ogero suspends strike: Everything you need to know to start your Monday

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Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri “will defend himself in court,” his press office said, in response to sexual assault allegations filed on March 20 to a New York court by two women who worked as flight attendants on the ex-premier’s private jet. Court papers seen by L’Orient Today contain allegations that Hariri committed “brutal workplace rape” against one plaintiff, and subjected both women to “false imprisonment, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.” Hariri’s press office denied the accusations of “rape, assault, and batter[y]” as “slander” and highlighted alleged former misconduct on the part of the plaintiffs, noting that this is the third attempt they have made in New York to bring charges against the former prime minister. The plaintiffs allege that the abuse lasted throughout the entirety of their tenures at the now-defunct, Hariri-owned Saudi Oger, adding that their female colleagues also suffered abuse — which, when reported, was met by rebuffs from supervisors and upper management. Hariri’s brothers, Bahaa Hariri, Ayman Hariri and Mohammed Hariri, are also defendants in the case, accused of “negligent infliction of emotional distress,” “retaliation” and “discrimination.” Hariri resigned from politics last year and instructed members of his Future Movement party to not participate in the parliamentary elections.

Beirut Bar Association head Nader Gaspar’s comments on false allegations of domestic abuse suit “repressive, patriarchal regimes,” critics said Friday, highlighting the prevalence of gender-based violence and the difficulties of reporting abuse. Gaspar was not immediately available to comment, after his controversial claim that the law on domestic violence might entice financially motivated false allegations. His remarks were made at a symposium on domestic violence last Thursday organized by the Personal Status Modernization Committee in the Beirut Bar Association. “We all know that, in the law of domestic violence, proof means are very clear,” Hayat Mirshad, co-founder of feminist collective FE-MALE and editor-in-chief of feminist platform Sharika wa Laken, told L'Orient Today. Mirshad added that “stigma” and victim-blaming often make domestic abuse victims reluctant to file reports before the abuses “reach advanced levels.” Ghida Anani, director of Abaad, an NGO focusing on women’s rights and gender equity, last August denounced “unprecedented” levels of domestic violence.

Lebanon’s caretaker information minister on Saturday said he supports the rights of “freedom of opinion and expression” during calls with Megaphone News founder Jean Kassir and editor-in-chief of the news website The Public Source Lara Bitar, who were summoned by State Security and the Anti-Cybercrime Bureau on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The summoning “will be followed closely,” the state-run National News Agency reported Ziad Makari as telling the reporters. Makari also reportedly emphasized that the “relevant judiciary” should handle cases related to freedom of expression. “Security services are not authorized to investigate journalists,” Megaphone said after its lawyer appeared at the appointed time in Kassir’s stead. Two plainclothes State Security agents delivered the summons to Kassir on Thursday while he was in his car, Megaphone said, later adding that Lebanon’s top prosecutor, Ghassan Oueidat, had given the order “most likely because his name appears in the publication as one of the people accused by Judge Tarek Bitar in the port case.” On Friday, The Public Source said their representatives would report for the questioning, scheduled for today, despite claiming that the summons was issued by “a security agency that has no jurisdiction over the press.” The summons follows a complaint by the Lebanese Forces over an article published by The Public Source in August allegedly documenting environmental crimes committed by the party during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-90).

State telecom operator Ogero technical teams began repairing malfunctioning stations on Saturday as their union announced the suspension of their strike to demand improved compensation. The Ogero employees’ union announced employees would suspend their open-ended strike, a little over a week after it began, after it had achieved its “intended impact at the local and regional levels.” The union cited caretaker Telecoms Minister Johnny Corm’s calls for cabinet to meet and his endorsement of their demands as evidence of the strike’s success. Corm repeatedly said the employees’ demands were “rightful” while warning of the potential consequences of a breakdown of the telecoms sector — illustrated by outages in different regions, linked by the operator to generator malfunctions. “Only seven of the 404 stations the operator manages are malfunctioning,” an Ogero spokesperson told L’Orient Today. Corm is expected to meet with the union of Ogero employees today to discuss practical steps toward achieving their demands. The minister previously said that the telecom workers’ demands could only be met through a cabinet decision. Grand Serail sources last week told L’Orient Today that caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati would convene cabinet this week to discuss public employee salaries.

Lebanese Forces (LF) head Samir Geagea expressed his refusal to accept any presidential candidate affiliated with Hezbollah and their allies, or championing “the rhetoric of a sub-state.” Geagea’s comments came during a commemoration of a 1981 conflict which brought the LF into confrontation with the Syrian army. Geagea drew an analogy between how the party had prevented the Syrian army from entering the Bekaa town of Zahle and how they now intend to prevent Hezbollah and their allies from entering Baabda palace. Geagea claimed that the “rhetoric of a sub-state,” an allusion to Hezbollah’s political influence and weapons, was supported by former president Michel Aoun and “led Lebanon to [economic] collapse and bankruptcy and the rejection of the Arab and international countries.” Kataeb head Sami Gemayel last Wednesday expressed a similar sentiment, saying that “the issue of illegal weapons should be on the table for discussion and the president should negotiate for the purpose of restoring sovereignty.” After a Saturday meeting Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon Walid Boukhari and Geagea reportedly agreed on “the need to elect a sovereign and reformist president who is not part of the ranks,” according to the state-run National News Agency. Marada Movement head Sleiman Frangieh, Hezbollah’s preferred candidate, visited Paris on Friday to discuss his candidacy with French officials, a source close to his party told L’Orient Today. A 12th presidential election session in Parliament has yet to be scheduled amid a dual executive vacuum in effect since Aoun’s term in office ended on Oct. 31.

In case you missed it, here’s our must-read story from over the weekend: “Post-blast Beirut, an El Dorado of new art galleries?”

Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz