Hezbollah MP slams summons of pro-resistance journalist over criticism of Saudi Arabia

A Lebanese lawmaker from Hezbollah's political wing has strongly condemned a judicial order summoning pro-resistance journalist Hassan Illaik for questioning over social media posts critical of Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday, Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, stated that the legal action against Illaik was due to foreign dictates and against the national sovereignty of Lebanon.

Hajj Hassan said the legal prosecution of the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese journalist is an arbitrary measure and constitutes a violation of freedom of expression and the media.

“In a country where authorities assert to be defending various forms of freedom, Hassan Illaik has been summoned and prosecuted for a post on social media.”

A senior Lebanese judicial source has clarified that the legal action against Illaik was not an arrest warrant, but a decision by which Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation Ahmad Rami al-Hajj ordered the intelligence service of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to bring him to the prosecutor's office for questioning.

Illaik recently published a post on X, where he censured Saudi Arabia for imposing “a criminal blockade” on Yemen.

Lebanese journalist Hassan Illaik summoned to court for criticizing president

Lebanon

Illaik immediately reacted to the order against him, stating on X that the judge was appointed to his position last March “on the decision of Yazid bin Farhan [the Saudi envoy to Lebanon].”

The pro-Hezbollah journalist further wrote that he was not surprised to see that the prosecutor had become “a tool of political power to repress freedom of expression.”

“Anyone who calls for the arrest of a journalist for criticizing Mohammed bin Salman [the Saudi Crown Prince] will do the same for criticism of [Benjamin] Netanyahu.”

Illaik said Judge Hajj had ordered his arrest “under the guise of an arrest warrant.”

“This is an abuse of power both in form — since Ahmad Rami al-Hajj issued the arrest warrant even before the scheduled date of my hearing — and in substance,” he stated, emphasizing that he had not broken the law.

“The decision to arrest me has only one objective: to satisfy the ‘Saudi guardian,’” he added.

 “Very well, Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, Nawaf Salam [Prime Minister], Joseph Aoun [President], and you, Minister of Justice [Adel Nassar]... In the name of God, let’s begin.”

Illaik had already been summoned in January by Judge Hajj's predecessor, Jamal Hajjar, following a video posted on the YouTube channel Al-Mahatta.

The video was a response to a speech by President Aoun in which he reviewed his first year in office and reaffirmed his commitment to restrict weapons to state control.

“You besiege your people and we remain silent. You obstruct reconstruction and we remain silent. You carry out American orders and we remain silent,” Illaik addressed President Aoun.

“If there were a true state, true law, and true justice in Lebanon,” he said, Joseph Aoun should have been “investigated rather than elected president.”

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