Human Rights Watch urges MPs to fix Lebanon's new media law

Human Rights Watch has called on Lebanon's parliament to amend the media law it adopted on 11 August after 16 years of debate, and to back a draft introduced by 10 MPs on 5 October that would remove its most troubling provisions.

According to HRW, the law is a real step forward: it ends pretrial detention for expression-related offences committed through media or online, lets citizens launch outlets without prior authorisation, limits the military court's role and protects journalists' sources.

But article 104(b) punishes the "intentional fabrication" and spreading of "false and harmful news" with up to three years in prison, and Penal Code and Military Justice Code articles on defaming officials, the army and foreign states remain in force. "No one should face abusive retaliation for peacefully expressing their views," said Ramzi Kaiss, HRW's Lebanon researcher.

A free press that can question officials without fear is one of the strongest tools against corruption, and against the misuse of public institutions.