Lebanese attorney general investigates personal criticism of the president
Lebanon-Syria, Politics, 2/25/2006

A Lebanese official source announced that the attorney general opened a judicial investigation into an article issued by the Lebanese daily al-Mustaqbal which is owned by the Hariri family, as undermining the President of the Republic in his person, Emil Lahoud which is demanded by the parliamentary majority to quit his post.

The minister of justice Charles Rizq said in a statement issued by the press office that judge Saeed Mirza "decided to open an investigation according to the rules of the Print Law in an article issued in the al-Mustaqbal daily on Friday according to information and phrases sensitive to the person of the President of the republic, especially what was stated by the former Lebanese ambassador Johny Abdou.

Al-Mustaqbal issued an article written by journalist Farez Khashan includin, quotes from ambassador Johny Abdou, of violations commitment by President Lahoud while he was leading the Lebanese army ( 1989-1998) as well as focusing on his behavior as President of the Republic.

Khashan has been living since many months outside Lebanon for security reasons after his name was mentioned by one Syrian witness who later retracted his testimony to the UN investigation committee to the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

The attorney general also decided to sue "everyone who pronounced humiliating words against the person of the President of the republic" from the "Camp Of Freedom" " in the downtown of Beirut where anti-Damascus youths organizations are in sit in."

The attorney general decided to arrest the persons concerned "immediately, because the matter is still within the time limit of the made criminal act ( 24 hours). They are one young girl and boy," according to judicial sources.

The parliamentary majority which is called the "March 14 Forces" is currently making a campaign to displace President Emil Lahoud from his post. In this context, a campaign was launched to collect one million signatures on a people's petition demanding Lahoud to leave office.

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