CLDH MEETS WITH THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION
The Lebanese Center for Human Rights met with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression on May 12, 2023, amid the recent restrictions on lawyers' and journalists’ freedom of expression.
CLDH relayed the current climate of impunity and lack of accountability in Lebanon through the summoning of individuals for their criticism of religious and political figures as well as businesses. CLDH also highlighted the lack of access to individual complaint mechanisms as Lebanon has not accepted these under the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 22 of the Convention against Torture.
Despite Lebanon’s obligations to freedom of expression in the constitution and international covenants, the Lebanese penal code which criminalizes defamation and slander is often used to limit freedoms and silence critics in the media and on online platforms.
