On the right, comedian Qassem Jaber and his lawyer, Ralph Tannous. (Credit: Nabil Ismail/an-Nahar)
Comedian Qassem Jaber, known for his criticism of Hezbollah, appeared in court on Thursday after a complaint was filed against him by lawyer Bouchra al-Khalil, who is close to the party and was one of the lawyers for the deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Hannibal Gaddafi, son of the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Khalil filed a complaint against the comedian for slander, defamation and incitement to sectarian conflict following a video published by him on Instagram on Nov. 28, in which he reacted to remarks made by the lawyer during an interview published on YouTube on Nov. 20.
A sit-in was held Thursday in front of the Palace of Justice in solidarity with Jaber, according to images from local media.
"Qassem posted a video in which he reacts to the statements of Bouchra al-Khalil during an interview. The latter filed a complaint against him with the prosecutor near the Court of Cassation Jamal Hajjar for slander, defamation and incitement to sectarian conflicts," the comedian's lawyer, Ralph Tannous, told L'Orient-Le Jour.
The comedian "was summoned today by criminal police and was interrogated before being released on bail for election domicile," he said. "I think it's over; the case will not have any further proceedings. This time, it's a personal complaint that has no connection with the state or an intent of repression from the justice system," he added. "Kassem Jaber did not have to sign a written document in which he commits not to attack the lawyer again." According to Tannous, the comedian hinted during his interrogation that he might delete the video, "but he was not asked to do so."
Contacted, Khalil was not immediately available for comment.
During the interview with host Karam Halloum, broadcast on his YouTube channel, Khalil claimed that the Kaaba, the most sacred sanctuary in Islam located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, belongs to "her ancestors." She was reacting to the host’s claim that in the Torah, there are mentions of certain parts of Arab countries that would be part of Israel "such as in Yemen, Iraq, or Saudi Arabia."
She then responded that the "whites in America" should return the United States to the Native Americans and stated that the Kaaba belongs to "us, our ancestor Abraham."
"Is it not Saudi Arabia's?" the presenter asked her. No, it's ours ... and it's not just mine. It's Sayyed Khamenei's, Sayyed Khomeini's, Sayyed Sistani's..." she said.
'Everyone is Afraid of Bouchra al-Khalil'
A few days after the interview, Jaber posts a satirical video. Addressing Khalil, he jestingly said, "Let’s first liberate Jerusalem and then we'll bring you the Kaaba. We'll talk to [Crown Prince] Mohammad bin Salman and tell him that Lawyer Bouchra al-Khalil wants the Kaaba, and he will give it to us."
"Where do you want us to place the Kaaba, at the Kfar Remman roundabout (Nabatieh) or the junction towards Housh (Sour)?" he pretended to ask. "The whole world is afraid of Bouchra al-Khalil ... She's a crazy woman ... No media dare stand up to her. She keeps a slipper in her handbag and hits people, journalists, photojournalists," he continued, before accusing the lawyer of insulting people.
Jaber was briefly detained last August by officers from General Security in Nabatieh after a search of his home in Kfar Tebnit, equipped with a warrant following the publication of a video where he said: "Why is there a war in a country that has no electricity?" referring to the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, in the wake of the war in Gaza.
