Journalist Rami Naim sentenced to 1 month in prison in defamation case against two lawyers

BEIRUT — Journalist Rami Naim, known for his strong remarks on social media and in the media, was sentenced Tuesday by the Print Court to one month in prison for defamation, insult, slander and dissemination of false information, a judicial source confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.

The case dates back to June 2024, when Naim accused Maya Geara Bardawil and Arlette Bejjani, two lawyers from the "Amwalona Lana" collective ("Our Assets Belong to Us", in Arabic), of "depriving clients of their rights" in cases against banks and insulted them.

The court issued three sentences for the various offenses: three months in prison reduced to ten days, one month reduced to two weeks, and one year reduced to one month. These sentences were combined and the harshest one retained, resulting in a one month prison term.

The court also acquitted Ivana Jean Khoury, editor-in-chief of the media outlet Assiyassa, where Naim published his article targeting the two lawyers, of the charges due to insufficient evidence, according to the judgment. Both defendants were also ordered to pay one billion Lebanese Lira (about $11,000) in damages to the plaintiffs.

Naim can appeal the ruling before the Court of Cassation. He could not be reached for comment.

On social media, Bardawil welcomed the decision, saying it carried symbolic weight for "all those who have defended the rights of depositors."

The conviction, however, triggered expressions of solidarity with Naim. Joseph Kosseifi, president of the Order of Editors, condemned the ruling as "serious" and "a dangerous precedent likely to become case law that seriously threatens press and media freedom." Press syndicate president, Aouni Kaaki, also called for the decision to be "revised" and criticized it as "an affront to the dignity of media professionals."

The Lebanese Forces (LF), through their press office, also condemned it as a "dangerous precedent" for freedom of opinion and expression and as "a profound failure of justice," noting that the law had supposedly abolished prison sentences for journalists. A judicial source, however, said this abolition applies to pre-trial detention, not sentencing.

Naim has faced several legal cases in recent years, particularly over his positions against Hezbollah or controversial statements targeting security forces or former Mount Lebanon prosecutor Ghada Aoun.