Lebanon once prided itself on being a beacon of freedom of expression in the region. But recently, journalists and activists have been facing increasing verbal and physical threats, in some cases amounting to death threats, from supporters of the country’s major political parties.
The recent assassination of publisher and activist Lokman Slim on 4 February in southern Lebanon is the latest episode. Though the killer is still unknown, some allege that the powerful Lebanese Shiite party, Hezbollah, is behind Slim’s death. Slim has openly opposed the party, and its supporters have made death threats against him in the past.
Mariam Seif El Dine is a Lebanese journalist known for being a strong critic of the Lebanese political elite and major political parties, especially Hezbollah.
