Charges against LBCI dropped in Hezbollah cartoon case, maintained over offense to Rai

The public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, has closed the preliminary investigations he was overseeing concerning the complaint related to the broadcast by the LBCI channel of a caricature video of Hezbollah inspired by the series “Angry Birds,” as well as the complaint filed against singer Ali Barakat, activist Alaa Abou Jabal, and others following the publication and dissemination of an image deemed offensive towards Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara al-Rai.

The clip depicted Hezbollah fighters as birds and Israelis as pigs. The judiciary ruled that this production did not constitute a criminal offense and fell within the realm of satirical freedom of expression, with no harm to a religious dogma or sacred symbol. LBCI nevertheless withdrew the video at the request of the public prosecutor.

The incident triggered an online smear campaign targeting Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai. Several images of the religious dignitary circulated on social media, in which his face was replaced by a shoe similar to those worn by Hezbollah fighters, a pig, or a character inspired by “Angry Birds.” Another montage showed him smiling alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These contents were shared by several accounts, some of which appeared to be based in southern Lebanon, while others appeared to be fake accounts or bots.

However, the prosecutor requested charges be brought against Ali Barakat and Alaa Abu Jabal, as well as any other person whom the investigation may identify, for Facebook posts deemed insulting toward Rai, “his person and his status, for insulting his religious symbolism, incitement to sectarianism, and undermining coexistence among the components of Lebanese society.”