In a dangerous passage in terms of timing and content, fellow journalist Michel Kanbour, editor and editor-in-chief of Lebanondebate, was the subject of a Facebook campaign accusing him of working for Israel and receiving sums of money from the Mossad. After consultation and communication between members of the Association of Electronic Websites in Lebanon, the association released the following statement:
First: The House rejects and denounces what has been said against our colleague Kanbour and believes that this campaign is part of the persecution of those who have freedom of speech and bold writing.
Second: the assembly sees this accusation as a prelude to targeting other journalists and attempting to tarnish their image in order to intimidate and silence them.
Third: The Assembly places this serious incident in the custody of all security and judicial agencies and demands that these agencies reveal who is behind it and punish him according to the provisions of Lebanese laws.
Fourth: The Assembly warns against watering down the issue and not achieving tangible results in it, and affirms the pursuit of all developments and escalation in the media and with all available means in case the issue is not followed with the necessary seriousness.
Fifthly, and finally, this House stands with our colleague Kanbour and all colleagues who have been and are the subject of false threats and malicious campaigns to undermine their audacity to speak the truth.
