News

In its continuous hunt for human traffickers, the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces- Public Relations Department, announced yesterday that as a result of the intensive search and investigations, the Mashta Hassan- Qobayat police arrested in Ashrafieh on January 30, a senior member of a prostitution ring (Syrian, 1967). The ISF statement said that the arrest was made in coordination with the Information Branch and the Gemayzeh police station in Beirut. Upon interrogation, the man confessed that he along with other members of the network (still at large) had been luring their 128 victims of Ethiopian nationality with the promise of work at hotels in the North or in Turkey in return for money. The detained prostitution facilitator, the statement went on to say, used local taxis across Lebanon to transport the women before he destroys his cell phone’s SIM card. When passing through a checkpoint in the Qobayat district, the women would be arrested for not having identity papers, the statement said, adding that investigation is ongoing under a competent judiciary. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, February 7, 2017)

 

In its issue of Saturday, An Nahar newspaper brought to light the decision by the Single Criminal Court Judge in Matn, Rabih Maaluf, who repealed the pursuit of same sex or transsexual defendants according to Article 534 of the Penal Code (c.f: http://bit.ly/2kilKZn). In this respect, a senior judiciary source explained to An Nahar that in the case of concurrence on a certain jurisprudence by a number of courts, the decision becomes a moral force. However, the same sources said, from the legal perspective, jurisprudence shall be applied to a case presented before a judge or bench in the absence of an explicit legal text. In the presence of an explicit text, like in ‘homosexuality’ (observed by the Lebanese law as a punishable crime), it cannot be repealed or abolished, otherwise, it takes over the role of the legislator (exclusively restricted to the Parliament), and hence infringes on the principle of separation of powers, the sources added. On the other hand, the explanatory argument of a verdict is not legal diligence as it contradicts with the legal text, thus considered ‘erroneous’ and could be appealed, the sources concluded. Other legal circles supported the argument indicating that jurisprudence becomes a moral force if agreed by many courts, pointing out that the "Lebanese law is clear in criminalizing any relationship against “natural law”. They recalled the two rulings preceding the last decision, one of which was overruled by the Court of Appeal. (An Nahar, February 4, 2017)

 

In association with Stanford Women in Data Science Conference (WiDS) held on Friday at the American University of Beirut, SAS, the leading company in analytics software and services, disclosed that it is striving to help enhance the pool of leading women professionals across the Middle East. The 2017 conference came in response to global anticipation on the growing number of full time data science specialists (expected to reach 1.5 million by the year 2018) according to a recent McKinsey report. The target is to support, educate and inspire women statisticians, biostatisticians and data scientists by providing a forum for the exchange of relevant ideas and debates on modern, cutting-edge research. In this respect, Marcel Yammine, the general manager for SAS Gulf & Emerging markets, said the company recognizes the significant contributions and potential of women in the field of data science and strives to support progressive initiatives that encourage the development of local and regional talent. Another SAS expert, Naile Bafli, a guest speaker at the conference, said: “WiDS 2017 conference seeks to motivate and educate the women in the region and supports them to step up their influence in the domain of data science.”  (Al Mustaqbal, February 6, 20)

 

The vice-president of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), Randa Assi Berri, received last Thursday a delegation of Women in Parliament led by its secretary general, former minister Wafaa Diqa Hamzeh, who briefed her on the Coalition’s action plan to secure women’s participation in political life through the adoption of the 30% electoral representation quota. Participants agreed to work along three main axis: firstly, promote public awareness on the issue; second, draw the support of political blocs to endorse the quota, and thirdly, observe the quota in the distribution of constituencies and Parliamentary seats, notwithstanding the type of electoral system. Berri, for her part, expressed her backing to the demands of the Coalition, pressing the need for setting up a higher council for women that embraces under its umbrella the various associations active in social and women concerns. She stressed the significance of coordination between the newly-appointed ministry of women’s affairs and the NCLW where they can benefit from the experiences gathered over the years. (Al Diyar, February 5, 2017)

 

The president of the Criminal Court of Mount Lebanon, Judge Faisal Haidar, sentenced Michel Deeb to 25-year imprisonment for the intentional killing of his wife Nisrine Ruhana by shooting her dead on October 25, 2014 (news: http://bit.ly/2koAq7B). Legal sources following up the case described the verdict as positive and one of the toughest in the history of domestic violence cases. The maximum penalty in homicides varies usually between the death sentence, (which is largely not executed due to the general trend denouncing capital punishment), and life-in-prison (25 years). Similarly, the media officer at Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation, Maya Ammar, considered the above decision as fair from a legal point of view, while noting that her organization has not had the time to read the details of the ruling in order to comment. On the other hand, Rita, the victim’s sister, criticized the decision as unfair and called, on behalf of her family, for the execution of the culprit. Expressing her fears that the killer would be released after completion of his prison term, Rita appealed to the President of the Republic to resume the death sentence in Lebanon so as to serve as a deterrent for future domestic violence instances. According to Al Akhbar newspaper, the victim’s family has the right to appeal the decision and request capital punishment during 15 days, while noting that the killer husband also has the right to cassation demanding a mitigated verdict. (Al Akhbar, February 4, 2017)

 

Economic circles are becoming increasingly involved with the expansion and development of Tripoli’s port and the special economic zone (SEZ) in preparation for the forthcoming reconstruction boom in neighboring war-torn Syria. On the subject, SEZ chairperson, Raya Hassan, pointed out on Tuesday that preparation works for establishing the special zone have largely progressed and are expected to be completed within the coming two months. Yet, Hassan who was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank to discuss updating the Zone’s economic feasibility plan, added that funding of infrastructure work still needs to be secured from various sources, including the private sector, Arab and international institutions or alternatively from the Lebanese government. On his part, the head of the Gulftainer Company which provides container shipping lines in the Port of Tripoli, Antoine Amaturi, underscored the need to start work in SEZ so that it is fully prepared to play a role in the reconstruction of war-torn Syria and Iraq. 

On a related note, the Port de Tripoli director, Ahmad Tamer, maintained that the nature formed harbor which is undergoing expansion works, has made a quantum leap in January posting a record in income, the first since its inception in the fifties of the past Century. Revenues have reached nearly LBP 3 billion and LBP 13 million (USD 2 million), he said. Moreover, the port has become a focal point of attraction for many regional and global companies, Tamer boasted, adding that these companies, believe the port will serve as an intersection point on the Silk Road between East Asia and Europe. On the development works, Tamer disclosed they will continue for three years with funding from the Islamic Bank for Development and a USD 86 million worth loan. Citing an international maritime economic and transport expert, Tamer noted that the global bodies involved in the development of cargo shipping lines between China, India and East Asia to Europe and vice versa, and as part of the New Silk Road, now consider the Port de Tripoli as a central hub for servicing this new global road. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, February 1 and 2, 2017)

 

 

The General Directorate of Internal Security announced in a statement yesterday the arrest of a 29-year old Lebanese man for bashing his 24-year old (Lebanese) wife’s head with a stone in Bab al Raml Cemetry of Tripoli in the North for allegedly family-related reasons. Under investigation, the ISF statement said the assailant confessed that after leaving his wife at the Cemetery, he rushed to his employer who called the Red Cross to transport his wife to the hospital where she is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit. On the other hand, and in a follow-up of the recent abduction of a Lebanese minor girl from in front of Amchit Public High School (c.f: http://bit.ly/2koAq7B), a Mount Lebanon Detachment patrol arrested a (Syrian) man, an accomplice in the kidnapping with his Syrian national, and handed him over to Torzaya police station. In a related development, the ISF Information Department handed over the van driver who carried the Syrian men and the abducted girl to the Police Unit in Byblos for interrogation, while the search continues for the main kidnapper and the girl. (Al Diyar, February 3, 2017)

 

In cooperation with Jihad al Binaa Development Association and the Beqaa Cooperatives’ Department in Amal Movement, the Agriculture Authority of Baalbak-Hermel organized yesterday a specialized training session for coops in the area. The event was held under the patronage of the new agriculture minister, Ghazi Zeaiter, and with the presence of representatives of local coops in Baalbak region. The workshop covered topics related to management and budget planning for coop associations, with emphasis on the importance and know-how of sterilization of food processing plants. In conclusion, some 26 stainless steel containers for olive oil storage (100-liter capacity each) were distributed to participants, as a donation from the Ministry of Agriculture. (Al Diyar, February 3, 2017)

 

Coinciding with the Cabinet meeting yesterday, the Women in Parliament Coalition staged a peaceful sit-in at Riad el Solh to protest the absence of women from the electoral Laws currently under deliberation. The Coalition demanded that the women quota be adopted and observed in the distribution of constituencies and Parliamentary seats, as well as in the projected elections system (by 30% at least), in addition to women’s participation in all the meetings of the Parliamentary committees mandated with devising the electoral laws. The minister of women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, who was present at the sit-in, reiterated that the participation of women in political life and in leadership posts is “not a luxury or formality”. Women, he said, represent an enormous educational, intellectual and legal asset whose presence is mandatory inside the Parliament, the government and in all decision-making positions, he added. Ogassapian said he supports women representative voices and believes that the upcoming governments should include 30% of women participation quota. Similarly, former minister, Wafaa Diqa Hamzeh, made clear that this protest action is only the beginning. For her part, civil activist and university professor, Rita Chemaly, read an appeal on behalf of the Coalition to members of Parliament to this effect, urging women across Lebanon to boycott the elections should the new electoral law disregard the above quota. 

)Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, February 2, 2017)

 

In collaboration with La Regie Libanaise Des Tabacs & Tombacs (Regie), Philip Morris Lebanon distributed on Monday some 136 scholarships to children of tobacco farmers in the North who completed their high school studies. The activity comes within the framework of a larger initiative funded by Morris in support of learning and education. During the ceremony, the general director of the Regie, engineer Nassif Seqlawi, pointed out that for the 4th consecutive year, the state-run company has been jointly working with Tobacco International and Philip Morris to this end, stressing the importance of education in the advancement of societies. Seqlawi also underlined the pivotal role of the Regie to reduce the rate of school dropouts and empower the youth with proper skills and capacities that give them greater access to the labor market, adding that new scholarships will be allocated next year to the Beqaa region. To note, scholarships in the past three years have been assigned to Nabatieh, Marje3yoon and Tyre. (Al Mustaqbal, February 2, 2017)