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LEBANON WAR

Minister of Information threatens to prosecute media outlets that 'disseminate misleading information'

Minister of Information threatens to prosecute media outlets that 'disseminate misleading information'

Caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makari at a meeting with Lebanese media executives on Nov. 1, 2023. (Credit: Hossam Chbaro)

Lebanon’s caretaker Information Minister, Ziad Makari, condemned on Wednesday the spread of “information in the media that endangers civil peace and the lives of citizens” and threatened to take legal action.

“In light of the current situation, we cannot remain silent in the face of information that leads the country toward discord... We will therefore take measures if media reports are not accurate,” the minister stated. He also warned of invoking Articles 295 and 296 of the penal code, which penalize “those who undermine national unity, sow discord, or spread false information during wartime.”

Makari's remarks come as controversy grows on social media following a report aired by MTV on Wednesday morning about the alleged presence of armed Hezbollah members in certain shelters for displaced people in Beirut and its suburbs.

A source within the ministry told L'Orient-Le Jour that the ministry has been fighting misinformation since the war between Hezbollah and Israel began in October 2023 and that the minister's comments were not aimed at any specific incident.

Lebanon’s caretaker Information Minister, Ziad Makari, condemned on Wednesday the spread of “information in the media that endangers civil peace and the lives of citizens” and threatened to take legal action.“In light of the current situation, we cannot remain silent in the face of information that leads the country toward discord... We will therefore take measures if media reports are...