The "Lebanese Environmental Movement" condemned the incident of assault against a member of its administrative body and environmental activists in the area between the forests of the town of Bzebdine and the town of Tash'an. In a statement, it called on the ministries of environment and agriculture, as well as the relevant security agencies, to "perform their duties to maintain the safety of citizens and environmental activists, prevent attacks on forests, and stop the illegal logging being carried out by outlaws under the protection of certain local authorities."
The statement indicated that "four activists from the movement were practicing mountain walking, and upon reaching the borders of Tash'an adjacent to the Bzebdine forests, they were followed by five individuals who demanded that they stop and threatened them with a massacre if they did not cease walking. They asked for identification cards and questioned their purpose for mountain walking. However, the activists refused to comply with the demands of the outlaws, who were engaging in logging activities while the sounds of chainsaws were audible from a distance. Then, one of the assailants made a phone call, believed to be to a local authority official, who, upon hearing the name of one of the activist participants, began to hurl insults against him and the member of the administrative body, accusing both of filming violations occurring in the area and reporting them to ministers, security agencies, and the media in an attempt to prevent what was happening."
The statement added: "One of the activists managed to withdraw among the trees while the other three were held captive by the outlaws. Upon reaching Bzebdine, he contacted the head of army intelligence in Akkar, who quickly acted to secure the release of the citizens." The movement noted the intervention of the Minister of Environment in the caretaker government, Nasser Yassin, who promptly called the army commander to intervene and ensure the release of the detainees and the protection of the freedoms of citizens and activists. The movement concluded its statement by calling for "all concerned parties, especially the security agencies and the judiciary, to intervene to uphold the law, protect citizens, particularly activists, and prevent encroachment on forests and natural resources."
