Achraf Rifi summoned Tuesday after complaint by Hezbollah MP

BEIRUT — A Beirut court will question MP and former minister Achraf Rifi on Tuesday, following a lawsuit filed two months ago by Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Moussawi.

The hearing will take place before presiding investigative judge Roula Osman, who recently replaced Judge Bilal Halawi.

Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, Change Party president Elie Mahfoud, who is Achraf Rifi’s lawyer and a fellow member of the "Sovereignty Front," said that his client, known for his anti-Hezbollah positions, is accused by Moussaoui notably of "threats against civil peace and incitement of sectarian strife."

“We have not yet been informed of the exact content of the complaint, nor which statements by Mr. Rifi are being targeted,” he said, however. Mahfoud also indicated that his client will most likely not attend the scheduled hearing, and that lawyers from his team will attend to find out the nature of the accusations.

He further pointed to the “unconstitutionality” of the procedure, noting that his client enjoys parliamentary immunity. “No prosecution can be initiated against an MP unless his immunity is first lifted,” he explained.

For reference

Complaint against Naim Qassem: Rifi and anti-Hezbollah MPs slam judicial inaction

Soon after Moussawi’s legal action, Achraf Rifi and MPs Elias Khoury, Georges Okais, Camille Chamoun (LF), as well as former LF MP Eddy Abillamaa and Elie Mahfoud, filed a complaint with the cassation prosecutor on Aug. 27 against Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

To date, this lawsuit has not been forwarded to the judicial police for investigation. This leads Elie Mahfoud and Achraf Rifi, also contacted by L’Orient-le Jour, to question a two-tiered justice system.

“Why does the judiciary act against a parliamentarian in violation of the Constitution, while it remains inactive regarding a complaint targeting a Hezbollah official?” they asked.