[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFTplSAK5-SmlOakA-D8NyQ","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__337507__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"337507","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/337507","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__337507__en","pager_element":0}}},"csp":{"nonce":"87J5yc_gahqn0sS_2Powug"},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"bc8921424f39d39c64af84232b603fadae46f840a8176c1b2436a5ee00791ac5"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_AJtnZDRKiPcDwZRF9CRxhLi7MMNATzBRLvIhNfcurrs.css?delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNFLzEqs0CnLTC0v1geTern5KaU5qQDy8w2e"}]},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VAWKYxPX4vFoyXs0iEPUrnc99CjyNLIu_pZawjEz9i8.js?scope=footer\u0026delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFQA22wZe"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__337507__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__337507__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EOn January 7, the Internal Security Force\u2019s Cybercrimes Bureau interrogated prominent activist and journalist, Nidal Ayoub, after another journalist filed a complaint against her. The charges against Ayoub included insulting the president, insulting God, and undermining the prestige of the state.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAyoub told Human Rights Watch that the charge of undermining the prestige of the state was brought against her due to her chants supporting refugee rights, which she said indicated to the complainant that she preferred refugees to Lebanese citizens. She also said that her calls for an end to a \u201cpatriarchal regime\u201d were interpreted as insults to the president.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAyoub has been a leading figure in the protest movement, and her chants calling for women\u2019s rights, refugee rights, and an end to discrimination have been shared widely.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAyoub had previously filed a defamation lawsuit against the complainant for claiming in a video that Ayoub was a foreign agent. Ayoub said she received threats and was put at risk as a result. Yet, the prosecution has not taken any action in relation to her complaint.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EPrevious Human Rights Watch research found that prosecutors are applying Lebanon\u2019s criminal defamation laws \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/report\/2019\/11\/15\/there-price-pay\/criminalization-peaceful-speech-lebanon\u0022\u003Eselectively\u003C\/a\u003E in ways that further the interests of powerful political and religious actors. The selective nature of the prosecutions indicate that such interrogations are attempts to silence prominent, outspoken critics rather than provide genuine redress where someone felt that their reputation had been unfairly damaged.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv style=\u0022text-align: center;\u0022\u003E \u003Ciframe width=\u0022560\u0022 height=\u0022315\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aiYT--k90RA\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allow=\u0022accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\u0022 allowfullscreen\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__337507__en","data":"","settings":null}]