Comedian Kassem Jaber. (Credit: Jaber's Instagram page)
BEIRUT — Comedian Qassem Jaber was questioned on Thursday by General Security (GS) officers from Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, after they searched his house in Kfar Tibneed, armed with a warrant, according to statements made by the comedian to L'Orient Today. Jaber also said that the agents confiscated money transfer receipts totaling around $1,800 and seized his cellphone, after having examined its contents.
Jaber, who lives in an area known to be a party stronghold, is himself known for criticizing Hezbollah in his satirical comedy routines and sketches. In one of his latest Facebook posts, Jaber wrote, "Why is there a war in a country that has no electricity?" — referring to Hezbollah's military intervention against Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7 al-Aqsa Flood operation amid Lebanon's public electricity blackout.
فيديو مضحك،لكن المحزن هو خبر توقيف الكوميدي #قاسم_جابر ، المعارض لسياسة #حزب_الله_الارهابي في #الجنوب_اللبناني دون كشف سبب التوقيف، وحتّى الساعة لا أحد يعرف عنه شيئاً. pic.twitter.com/Lg3ZlQgm6p
— JOSI LF جوزي (@josi_lf) August 22, 2024
Many X users and Hezbollah critics took to various social media platforms to denounce his being arrested and point fingers at Hezbollah.
Commenting on one of Jaber's videos, one user, Josi-lf, wrote: "A funny video, but the sad part is the news of the arrest of comedian Qassem Jaber, an opponent of the policies of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, without any reason for the arrest being disclosed. As of now, no one knows anything about his whereabouts."
The video shows Jaber driving in the south while waving what looks like a bottle of alcohol through his car window, as a "protection" against any Israeli strike — since Hezbollah members, often targeted by drone strikes while driving in their cars or motos, are known for their strict adherence to Islamic traditions and don't drink alcohol.
Allegations of espionage?
Contacted on Friday by L'Orient Today, Jaber said that at 3 p.m. on Thursday, General Security (GS) officers searched his house in Kfar Tibneed, Nabatieh, carrying a warrant. The officers confiscated money transfer receipts totaling around $1,800 before taking him to the GS branch in Nabatieh.
The officers did not disclose their accusations against Jaber, but Jaber said he suspects it relates to allegations of espionage. According to Jaber, GS officers demanded he unlock his phone to examine its contents, once he did so, they confiscated the phone, seizing it for further investigation. He was without legal representation at the time, and complied to avoid raising further suspicion. As of now, his phone has not been returned.
General Security and Hezbollah were not immediately available for comment.
'Intimidation by GS' and Hezbollah
Jaber claims this action is an intimidation tactic by GS, influenced by the "Axis of Resistance" (Hezbollah).
"I think I am too known for [Hezbollah] to try to intimidate me directly — then people would blame them for it. Instead they would push a security branch to do it," Jaber said.
"With all the crime in the country, the port destroyed, the enemy [Israel] striking whenever they want, and yet I'm the one posing a risk to national security?" Jaber remarked. "Those who have Hodhod [a Hezbollah drone whose footage of Israel is regularly broadcast by the party] that can film Haifa can't tell if I'm a spy or not? This is repression of freedom of expression."
Jad Shahrour, a spokesperson for Samir Kassir Foundation told L'Orient Today that as a humanitarian organization, they would oppose summoning individuals for content that contradicts the constitution's protection of free expression.
"Regarding potential espionage, it’s a very delicate subject and security forces should have enough evidence to investigate this file. But if the matter is related to a political stance or an expression of an opinion, the constitution protects against it," Shahrour said. "The security forces — which have received training from the EU and European countries in the last 10 years on subjects related to democracy and civil freedoms — should know how to deal with such cases," Shahrour said.
Comedians and the law
Jaber is not the first comedian to have a run-in with the authorities. In 2022, comedian Shaden Fakih was fined by the Military Court for "humiliating and damaging the reputation of the Internal Security Forces (ISF)," after she published a video of a comedy sketch in which she calls the ISF and asks them to deliver her sanitary pads, due to the lockdown restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.
In October 2023, the court decided to drop the proceedings against the comedian, but last month Fakih announced her intention "not to return to Lebanon in the immediate future." At that point she'd also faced another wave of controversy around the publication of an excerpt from a standup performance during which she compared some Muslims to "nouveau riche" and criticized the behavior of certain religious dignitaries.
Dar al-Fatwa, the country's highest Sunni authority, and the Shiite Supreme Council, accused her of "blasphemy, undermining religious symbols and inciting sectarian and racist conflict."
"I didn't want to leave the country, but the state can't protect me. Nevertheless, I will continue to speak out and fight," she said from Canada.
During Fakih's first clash with Lebanese authorities, Aya Majzoub, Human Rights Watch researcher in Lebanon and Bahrain, tweeted that HRW has documented a “trend of using criminal defamation laws to intimidate government critics,” noting that “military courts have no business trying civilians.”