Layal Al Ikhtiyar, a Lebanese journalist working for the Saudi channel al-Arabiya. (Credit: @layalalekhtiar)
BEIRUT — The military investigative judge, Fadi Sawwan, announced on Wednesday his decision to keep Lebanese journalist Layal al-Ikhtiyar under investigation after questioning her regarding the public prosecution's allegations against her for violating the law on boycotting Israel.
This action comes in response to her interview with Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army. She had interviewed him shortly after the onset of the war between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, on the Saudi news channel, al-Arabiya, from its studio in Dubai. It is prohibited under Lebanese law for Lebanese citizens to contact Israeli citizens.
Upon arriving in Lebanon from the U.A.E., Ikhtiyar went directly from Beirut International Airport to the military court building, where Judge Sawwan had summoned her for questioning after notifying her through one of her representatives. It's unclear exactly when the journalist arrived in Lebanon.
After the interrogation, Sawwan decided to keep her under investigation and replaced her detention with a financial bail of fifty million Lebanese liras (about USD $561).
In 2023, shortly after her interview, Ikhtiyar announced that the Lebanese military prosecutor has issued a warrant for her search. She was heavily criticized on social media networks particularly for addressing Adraee as "estez" (mister).
Adraee became a particularly familiar name in households across southern and eastern Lebanon as it was through his X account that the Israeli army announced evacuation orders ahead of bombing residential areas.
Attempts to reach Ikhtiyar for a comment are so far unsuccessful.
Ikhtiyar, who previously worked with Lebanese channels LBCI and OTV, labeled the warrant as "political persecution in the form of judicial oppression." She emphasized that this comes after a judicial inquiry against her was initiated at the behest of individuals "close to Hezbollah."
Article 1 of the Anti-Israel Boycott Law stipulates that it is "prohibited for any natural or legal person to conclude, personally or through an intermediary, an agreement with organizations or persons residing in Israel or holding Israeli citizenship, or to work on their behalf or in their interest, when the purpose of this agreement involves commercial or financial operations, or any other transaction, of any nature whatsoever.”