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The country\u2019s criminal defamation laws, which authorize imprisonment up to three years for peaceful speech, have been used against citizens who have written about pressing social issues, including corruption. Government data indicates a 325% increase in defamation cases for online speech between 2015 and 2018.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-left embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-node embedded-entity-bundle-report embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--left\u0022 xmlns:xlink=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\u0022\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media-related flex md:ml-8\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022media-related__image flex-none\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/report\/2019\/11\/15\/there-price-pay\/criminalization-peaceful-speech-lebanon\u0022 class=\u0022media-related__image-link\u0022\u003E\n \n \u003Cimg src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/thumbnail\/public\/multimedia_images_2019\/201911mena_lebanon_cover.jpg?itok=TgxGwRhY\u0022 alt=\u0022201911MENA_Lebanon_cover\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 class=\u0022unloaded\u0022 width=\u002277\u0022 height=\u0022100\u0022\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022media-related__content pl-4\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022media-related__info text-base text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ctime class=\u0022media-related__date\u0022 datetime=\u00222019-11-15T04:30:00-0500\u0022\u003ENovember 15, 2019\u003C\/time\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022media-related__title text-gray-900 text-2xl leading-tight font-medium font-sans mt-1\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/report\/2019\/11\/15\/there-price-pay\/criminalization-peaceful-speech-lebanon\u0022 class=\u0022media-related__title-link hover:underline focus:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThere Is a Price to Pay\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022media-related__subtitle text-gray-700 text-lg font-serif font-normal leading-snug py-2\u0022\u003EThe Criminalization of Peaceful Speech in Lebanon\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cul class=\u0022media-related__list\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cli class=\u0022media-related__item block border-t border-gray-200 first:border-t-0 \u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/report_pdf\/lebanon1119_web.pdf\u0022 class=\u0022media-related__item-link flex py-2\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022media-related__item-icon self-center\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-4 inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewBox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=250315#sprite-docicon\u0022 \/\u003E\n \u003C\/svg\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022media-related__item-title font-semibold text-sm pl-4\u0022\u003EDownload the full report in English\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/li\u003E\n \u003Cli class=\u0022media-related__item block border-t border-gray-200 first:border-t-0 \u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/report_pdf\/lebanon1119_annex.pdf\u0022 class=\u0022media-related__item-link flex py-2\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022media-related__item-icon self-center\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-4 inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewBox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=250315#sprite-docicon\u0022 \/\u003E\n \u003C\/svg\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022media-related__item-title font-semibold text-sm pl-4\u0022\u003EDownload the full annex to the report\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/li\u003E\n \u003C\/ul\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\n Based on research conducted over the course of a year and 42 interviews, Human Rights Watch found that powerful individuals were using the laws as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2019\/11\/15\/lebanon-defamation-laws-used-silence-critics\u0022\u003Etool for retaliation and repression\u003C\/a\u003E, and prosecutors, security agencies, and the judiciary exhibited bias in favour of the complainants. Individuals who had been prosecuted faced a number of serious consequences as a result of the criminal process, including abuse and privacy violations during interrogations, pretrial detention, family separation, and considerable mental and financial stress. The increasing use of criminal defamation laws has had a chilling effect on free speech in Lebanon. 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