Editors’ Syndicate Rejects Media Law: It Threatens Freedoms and Revives the Specter of Jailing Journalists

The Lebanese Press Editors’ Syndicate, during an extraordinary meeting of its council chaired by syndicate head Joseph Al-Qasifi, rejected the draft media law referred by the joint parliamentary committees to the general assembly of Parliament, considering that it does not meet the requirements for developing the media sector nor provide protection for those working in it.

The meeting was attended by members of the syndicate council, along with legal advisers Anton Hweis and Christelle Choueiri, and was devoted to discussing the draft law and assessing its repercussions on media freedom and journalistic work.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the syndicate affirmed its rejection of the draft law “in form, substance, and timing,” considering that it lacks an integrated national media vision and does not contribute to transforming the media into a productive sector linked to the economic cycle, while also overlooking the basic guarantees for those working in the profession.

The syndicate also expressed concern over the inclusion in the draft of provisions allowing the imprisonment of journalists and media professionals, considering that this approach constitutes a direct threat to public freedoms, undermines freedom of opinion and expression, and brings back penalties that are incompatible with constitutional principles and human rights.

The syndicate called for the withdrawal of the draft in its current form and its return to the Media and Communications Committee for reconsideration, stressing the need to involve the media community in drafting any new legislation regulating the sector.

It also announced its readiness to submit a comprehensive draft law reflecting a modern national vision for the media, including practical proposals that guarantee the protection of freedoms and strengthen the profession, noting that its previous observations were not taken into account during the preparation of the current draft.