Tueni, Kassir, and Chidiac… Ten Years Passed with No Progress in Investigations

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Tueni, Kassir, and Chidiac… Ten Years Passed with No Progress in Investigations

Maharat Foundation rd Beirut on November 3P ,P 2015 Communiqué on the occasion of Impunity day: Tueni, Kassir, and Chidiac… Ten years passed with no progress in investigations The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists comes ten years after the assassination of the two journalists Gebran Tueni and Samir Kassir and the attempt of assassination of the journalist May Chidiac in 2005, without bringing to justice or revealing the perpetrators, and until now no official progress in investigation has been made in their cases. Chidiac In the case of attempt of assassination of the journalist May Chidiac, she said during an interview with Maharat Foundation that she is waiting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to find a link between her case and that of the assassination of the former prime minister Rafic Hariri so the tribunal can take over the case. Chidiac also considered that the “Lebanese authorities promote impunity through keeping the anonymity of the perpetrators despite the fact that those responsible for the 2005 assassinations are well known”. Tueni The same thing applies to the case of the journalist Gebran Tueni as emphasized by his daughter Michele Tueni to Maharat Foundation, who ensured that impunity contributed in the assassination of the victims where the perpetrators know that they will go unpunished. Tueni considered the consequences of impunity are dangerous especially that it urges journalists to put limits for their writings and to practice self censorship to protect their lives. Kassir The executive director of Samir Kassir Foundation Ayman Mhanna pointed that the case of Samir Kassir was transferred from the Lebanese and French judiciary to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and they are now waiting to link it to the case of assassination of Rafic Hariri. Mhanna also pointed that impunity for crimes against journalists is dangerous and limits their freedom of expression as seen nowadays where journalists are an easy prey of constant attacks that go unpunished. No progress in Investigations On this occasion, Maharat urges the Lebanese authorities to put more efforts towards the cases of journalists’ assassinations and to follow up with the Special Tribunal of Lebanon to link their cases to the one related to the assassination of former prime minister Rafic Hariri or to return it to the Lebanese judiciary to proceed with investigations to reveal and bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against journalists. The escape of criminals from prosecution for these crimes promotes impunity that prevailed Lebanon during wars and security and political turmoils. .

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