The worst test that the Anti-Cyber Crimes Office of the Internal Security Forces can face is the prevailing belief among politicians or artists that the office can be used in the interest of one of the two parties, and used to settle scores and silence critics. It is not easy for the security forces to bear the pressure, and the pressure is understandable, given that experience has shown that this group has enough influence to load the bureau with what it cannot bear before public opinion, in terms of accusations against it of violating the law, at every summons against a journalist.
And the occasion for this conversation now is the expansion of the fandom of the influential who are trying to “retrieve” their critics through the office, from the category of politicians to the category of workers in the field of art. Actress Nadine Nassib Njeim resorted to the office, with a lawsuit against the journalists, Rabih Farran and Rehab Daher. The two journalists refused to appear, today, Tuesday, after a wide media and trade union campaign of solidarity, and the intervention of a minister in the Lebanese government, who supported their position not to appear, in implementation of the law that confirms that the Publications Court is the only reference for the trial of journalists, and they are not brought before any judicial police.
Njeim opens with this lawsuit, a new approach in the stars’ dealings with journalists. Before the lawsuit, many artists used to boycott any journalist who criticized their work or behavior. Most of them do not accept criticism.. Later, the artists used their fans to attack journalists, which appears on the communication sites daily. Electronic and media intimidation did not deter a large group of journalists, knowing that “shabiha” in cyberspace cannot influence the expression of an opinion, as long as it is guaranteed by the constitution, and the masses of the masses do not have the ability to silence… so the context shifted in another direction.
Accordingly, Najim’s case can only be read from the point of view of attempts to silence journalists and prevent them from expressing their opinions. It is more like a deterrent measure against expressing an opinion, and an effort to undermine the freedom of others. A clear violation of the Lebanese constitution and the image of Lebanon. So how is the matter if Fran did not name Najim by name, and criticized those who won awards, which is criticism of producer Sadiq Al-Sabah, director Joe Bouaid, and others .. and none of them filed a lawsuit against him, except Najim, after a response to it on Twitter, from Without naming Fran, outside the usual conversational literature.
In fact, there is no fundamental difference between a politician or a worker in the technical sector. The distinction between them is nothing more than an illusion. They share one tendency, which is the feeling of excess power. Each of them has influence through which he seeks to bend the law and mobilize public opinion. The politician exceeds his artist counterpart in influence by gaining legal immunity, but the two parties share the loyalty of supporters and beneficiaries, a network of relations in the state, and the belief in influence over the law. Consequently, each of them seeks to adapt any tool in his favor. They only found the Office of Combating Information Crimes, due to a loophole in the practice of law.
The function of the office in cases of what journalists publish is represented in conducting technical investigations that are within its competence. He presents the results of the investigations to the judiciary, in order to build a complete file. It was agreed on this function, in cases of freedom of expression, years ago, to prevent the opinion holder from being treated as well-known people, or the organizers of electronic campaigns for the purposes of inciting sectarian strife, or threatening state security, or terrorism, or embezzlement, theft and piracy. Publication cases were confined to the Publications Court.
Today, every politician, artist, or divorcee with power transcends these norms. He files a lawsuit before the Public Prosecution, not before the Publications Court. Some judges ask the office to make summons, instead of issuing a judicial writ for the office to investigate. This mess puts the office in an awkward position, which he is supposed to be wary of.
And if the field and legal pressures and movements put an end, to some extent, to the issue of summoning journalists in the lawsuits of politicians, then the size of the movement and the objection to summoning Rabih Farran and Rehab Daher, from all parties, will thwart the artists’ attempt to silence journalists according to the rule of “drumming or silence.” Nadine Njeim’s attempt failed, and other attempts will fail, in the hope that the law will be fully implemented: Journalists only appear before the Publications Court, in the presence of a lawyer.
