Attacks on the Press in 2010 - Committee to Protect Journalists

<strong>Attacks</strong> on the Press in 2010In mid-year, parliament began considering a technology bill that includedseveral provisions that could restrict press freedom. The bill, pendingin late year, focused largely on electronic transactions, but it also calledfor the creation of a regulatory body with unfettered power to monitor orblock electronic speech.Under the bill, the new Electronic Signature and Services Authoritywould be empowered “to carry out financial, administrative, and electronicinspections to access any information or computer systems or toolsrelated to operations, including those used for data processing of privateinformation.” In addition, inspectors would have unhindered access to “anydocument, irrespective of its nature, and to generate copies of it.” The billoffered no safeguards against misuse of user information and provided nomechanism for challenging the regulatory agency’s decisions. The measurewould require anyone providing online services to obtain a license fromthe regulatory agency, but it offered only vague criteria for how applicationswould be judged.Reporting critically on the military remained a bright redline for thepress. Hassan Alliq, a reporter for the daily Al-Akhbar, was interrogated inAugust concerning an article describing the flight of a retired army generalaccused of espionage. The piece suggested Lebanese intelligence officialscolluded with Israeli counterparts to delay an investigation and allow thegeneral to flee the country. Lebanese intelligence officers unsuccessfullypressed Alliq to reveal his sources, Al-Akhbar said. Defense Minister EliasMurr quickly convened a press conference to deny the allegations in Al-Akhbar’s story and warn news media against challenging the military, newsaccounts said. He said journalists would be arrested and questioned if theyreported information seen as defaming the army.In August, a reporter was killed in crossfire while covering a borderclash between Israeli and Lebanese military forces near the southern townof Al-Adaysseh. Assaf Abu Rahal, a reporter for the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, was struck by an Israeli shell after the skirmish broke out, accordingto news reports. The fighting was apparently triggered by an Israelitree-cutting operation along the border. Lebanese authorities claimedIsraeli forces crossed the border during the operation, an assertion Israeldisputed. Abu Rahal’s death highlighted continuing instability along Israel’sborder with Lebanon in the wake of the 2006 conflict between Israel andHezbollah. The fighting in which Abu Rahal was killed was the deadliestalong the border since the 2006 conflict, according to news reports.252