Joseph Hawat during his interview with Red TV. Screenshot.
BEIRUT — The Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Judge Jamal al-Hajjar, issued an order to arrest the head of the J.A.D (Youth Against Drugs) association, Joseph Hawat, on suspicion of defamation after he accused officers and magistrates of participating in a network that protects drug traffickers during a television interview, a source from the Court of Cassation told L'Orient-Le Jour on Thursday. Joseph Hawat was arrested on Wednesday, added the source.
The source explained that the public prosecutor summoned him so that he can provide information on the security and judicial scandal, which he revealed in an interview with local channel Red TV. According to the source, when questioned about the existence of evidence or information, he denied having any, which led to his arrest.
In a statement published on Thursday on Facebook, the J.A.D. organization expressed its "regret for the controversy surrounding the recent television interview of the association’s president on the program File 101 on Red TV", and offered its apologies for any statements that "may have been understood as an affront to the judiciary, as this was never the intention."
The organization added that the positions expressed by Hawat were "not made in bad faith nor intended to undermine the state and its institutions, especially the judicial authorities." J.A.D. finally commended the "efforts of all security agencies in maintaining safety and stability" and valued their "active role in protecting Lebanese society and combating the drug scourge."
