Former Parliament candidate files complaint after threats for criticizing Iran's ambassador to Lebanon

For publishing a message on her social media protesting the reception of Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Amani in the village of Maaysra (with a Shiite majority), in Kesrouan, Josephine Zoughaib, a politician from the region, was targeted for a week with insults and threats that led her to file a complaint last Thursday.

Zoughaib, attacked through messages on her social media and later by phone, is a well-known figure in Kesrouan, where she served for a long time on the municipal council of her village, Kfar Dibian.

She was also an unsuccessful independent candidate for the Maronite seat in the 2022 parliamentary elections and is preparing to run again in the election scheduled for May, on the list of the National Bloc, which she has since joined.

The party is known for its criticism of the Iranian regime and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, both of which emerged greatly weakened by the last war between Israel and Lebanon and the Israeli and American offensive against Iran last June.

On Feb. 16, upon the announcement of the Iranian ambassador's visit — which the village of Maaysra wanted to "honor" on the occasion of the end of his mission in Lebanon — the candidate wrote: "We will not accept the Iranian ambassador being welcomed in Kesrouan. Kesrouan ia s land that belongs to its people, and the decision is theirs. It is not a stage where [regional political] influence is exercised. No to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Kesrouan."

During the 2023-2024 war between the party and Israel, Maaysra was bombed several times by Israeli airstrikes. As for Mojtaba Amani, he had been injured in the explosion of beepers rigged by Mossad, at the hands of hundreds of Hezbollah members.

'Do you think Kesrouan belongs to you?'

"What business is it of hers? Who is she and how does she dare speak on behalf of Kesrouan’s residents?" exclaimed one internet user. "Look back at history, you’ll see that Kesrouan belonged to our ancestors who were driven out by yours," wrote another, alluding to the presence of Shiites in this predominantly Christian region. "I hope they break your teeth! Do you think Kesrouan belongs to you?" raged another user.

"There were quickly more than 1,200 online responses, focusing on my community identity, my gender, my appearance," Zoughaib told L’Orient-Le Jour.

Beyond the online attacks, Zoughaib was subjected to threats by phone. "There were messages and two or three threatening calls from foreign numbers," she said.

The final straw came last Thursday at 5:45 a.m.: "We will break your legs if you leave your house." Considering that "the threats have become intolerable," she reported the incidents the same day to the cybercrime office of the Internal Security Forces and filed a complaint in court against all those identified by the investigation as involved in this defamation campaign.

The National Bloc came to Zougheib's defense, denouncing a systematic campaign against its candidate in Kesrouan, based on a legitimate political opinion regarding Iran’s ambassador's visit to the village of Maaysra. The party asserted that the insults and threats she suffered "far exceed the bounds of political debate and constitute a clear violation of the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Lebanese Constitution."

Zougheib also denounced sexist and misogynistic attacks against her, but welcomed the mobilization of feminist organizations that condemned "violence against women in politics."

The Maharat Foundation notably launched an online solidarity campaign with the hashtag "Violence against women in politics."