A protester holds a sign in support of press freedom on March 28, 2026, during a sit-in in Beirut after the assassination of three Lebanese journalists by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon.(Credit: Archive photo by Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
The paradox is striking: in Lebanon, a country that continues to champion freedom of expression as one of the pillars of its identity, parliament passed a law that tightens the repressive measures against journalists. Long awaited to modernize a sector in crisis and strengthen the protections afforded to those working in journalism, the new legislation risks doing the opposite, further undermining their freedom. By retaining, notably through Article 104, the possibility of imprisoning journalists for doing their jobs, the MPs have opted for repression over protection, despite the mobilization of the sector’s unions. The reform that was meant to mark progress has ultimately turned out to be a serious step backward.The highly controversial paragraph (b) of Article 104 was retained in the version of the law adopted by parliament. “They are...
The paradox is striking: in Lebanon, a country that continues to champion freedom of expression as one of the pillars of its identity, parliament passed a law that tightens the repressive measures against journalists. Long awaited to modernize a sector in crisis and strengthen the protections afforded to those working in journalism, the new legislation risks doing the opposite, further undermining their freedom. By retaining, notably through Article 104, the possibility of imprisoning journalists for doing their jobs, the MPs have opted for repression over protection, despite the mobilization of the sector’s unions. The reform that was meant to mark progress has ultimately turned out to be a serious step backward.The highly controversial paragraph (b) of Article 104 was retained in the version of the law adopted by parliament. “They...
