Following the judgment issued by the single criminal judge in Beirut, Rozin Hajili, condemning journalist Dima Sadek for defamation and inciting sectarian strife, several political parties, movements, and press unions condemned the incident.
**Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate**
The Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate commented on the decision, issuing a statement that reflects a "principled position consisting of its absolute rejection of prison sentences against any journalist who commits a publishing violation, whether in print, broadcast, or electronic media." It emphasized its "principled stance that no journalist should be tried in opinion cases before any judicial body other than the Publications Court, armed with its position based on the amendments made to the Publications Law in 1994." The syndicate confirmed the "necessity for the accused to appeal the judgment issued against her and for the Court of Appeal to correct the mistake caused by referring the public prosecution's case against the plaintiff to the criminal court, thereby allowing the criminal judge to review the case and issuing a judgment that included a one-year prison sentence without suspension, by referring the case back to the Publications Court."
**Amnesty International**
Amnesty International also condemned the decision, stating in a statement that Lebanese authorities must "immediately cease exploiting defamation laws to harass activists and journalists and protect them from criticism in a country fraught with crises and nearly devoid of accountability mechanisms." It added, "Laws that permit imprisonment for criticizing government officials do not align with Lebanon's international obligations to protect freedom of expression." It concluded by saying, "Parliament should abolish defamation provisions in the Penal Code and replace them with civil provisions."
**Press Club**
The Press Club denounced the judicial ruling, asserting that it undermines freedom of expression and promotes judicial independence. It called on the judiciary to "rectify this mistake, which should not have occurred, as the authorized body to consider cases involving journalists for their journalistic work is the Publications Court." It warned against the "easy attempts to restrict freedom of opinion and expression and the use of intimidation and persuasion to domesticate journalists, regardless of the source."
**Minister of Information**
Meanwhile, Minister of Information Ziad Makary tweeted, "After the court ruling sentencing journalist Dima Sadek to prison, we want to emphasize our respect for judicial independence and affirm our absolute belief in freedom of expression, which is the essence of Lebanon." He reiterated his call for the Lebanese Parliament to discuss and adopt a modern media law he proposed that eliminates prison sentences for journalists, as the law that respects global standards remains the only guarantee to uphold the freedom of media workers and protect them from the penal code provisions that some resort to in an effort to tighten the noose around journalists.
**Lebanese Forces**
The media circle of the Lebanese Forces party condemned the ruling, stating it represents a "dangerous and unprecedented precedent concerning imprisonment for defamation cases against journalists." It emphasized "the necessity of distinguishing between the right of the complainant to defend itself and the use of the judiciary to take revenge on journalists for their opinions, as otherwise, it undermines media freedom and holds journalists accountable for their political ideas, which is unacceptable and should be retracted immediately." The circle expressed its solidarity with "journalist Dima Sadek and rejection of attempts to domesticate journalists through unjust rulings that undermine freedom of opinion and expression."
**Progressive Socialist Party**
The Media Commission of the Progressive Socialist Party commented on Sadek's imprisonment, stating, "Regardless of the facts, journalism's freedom, safeguarded by the Charter of Human Rights and the Lebanese Constitution, remains paramount, and under this framework, the issuance of a prison sentence against journalist Dima Sadek is outrageous, conflicting with the idea of Lebanon based on freedom of opinion and expression."
**Future Movement**
The Media Affairs Committee of the Future Movement considered in a statement that "it is very disgraceful for some Lebanese judiciary to issue rulings on demand against journalists, fulfilling political desires that only serve to settle scores and suppress freedoms, akin to the 'precedent' ruling issued against journalist Dima Sadek with a one-year prison sentence." It noted that the Future Movement stands in solidarity with its colleague Dima Sadek against this renewed attempt to intimidate journalists, calling on the judiciary to overturn the ruling issued against her.
