Lebanon: CFIWJ Condemns The Arbitrary Detention of Nada Homsi, Welcomes Her Release

Location:  Lebanon, Beirut
Date: April 11, 2022

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Hussein Malla

The freelance American journalist, Nada Homsi was held at the Beirut airport and threatened with deportation before she was allowed to enter Lebanon on April 11, 2022. She was arrested by the Lebanon authorities claiming she was banned from entering the country. This is the second time Nada is being detained by the Lebanese authorities, after being arrested in November 2021 and spending 23 days in detention. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the arbitrary detention of the journalist. We call on Lebanese authorities to stop intimidating her and other press members.

Journalist Nada Homsi was returning from America when Lebanese General Security Directorate officers stopped her at the Beirut airport, threatening her with deportation. She was allowed to enter the country after repeatedly refusing to be expelled.

The journalist wrote on her Twitter account that she does not know why she was banned from entering Lebanon.

A few minutes ago I was released from the airport! I still don’t know why I was banned in the first place but THANK YOU to everyone who supported and advocated for my release. I love this community of amazing people in Lebanon. Thank you ♥️ pic.twitter.com/TuXKGq2Qyg

— Nada Homsi (@no_homsi) April 11, 2022

يطالب تجمع نقابة الصحافة البديلة للأمن العام اللبناني التراجع عن قرار ترحيلها غير القانوني فوراً، والسماح لها بدخول الأراضي اللبنانية واستئناف قرار الترحيل، واحترام حقها بالاقامة في لبنان، كونها متزوجة من فلسطيني لأم لبنانية.

— تجمّع نقابة الصحافة البديلة (@NakabaBadila) April 11, 2022

While she was being held by the Lebanese authorities, Nada demanded an explanation on the reason she was being banned from entering the country. 

At the time when Nada was detained, the Alternative Press Syndicate in Lebanon called on the Lebanese General Security to respect Nada’s right to reside in Lebanon “as she is married to a Palestinian with a Lebanese mother”.

Nada was previously arrested on November 16, 2021 after a raid without a judicial order by members of Lebanon’s General Security Directorate. She was released on December 8, 2021 shortly after pressure from international rights groups surmounted. The public prosecutor had initially ordered her release on November 25 but General Security issued a deportation order for her and kept her in detention for unspecified “security reasons”. 

After her release in December 2021, the media reported that Lebanon’s General Security said through a statement that Nada had been arrested for having entered and stayed in occupied Palestinian territories. The statement further added that “by order from the military general prosecutor's office” and found “an Israeli booklet containing an Israeli card, Israeli banknotes, war ammunition, 41 bags, two empty smoke bombs and a quantity of hashish.”

The journalist denounced the General Security Directorate’s statement as an attempt to misrepresent and distort her image to defend the illegal procedures initiated against her 

“Their statement portrays me as an Israeli spy, a terrorist/weapons dealer, and a drug lord, which while ridiculous is also frankly dangerous to my physical safety,” Nada, who had been working with US media outlet National Public Radio(NPR) when she was detained, wrote on Twitter.

Nada was one of the journalists who had to evacuate her home due to the damage caused by the devastating explosion in Beirut port on August 4, 2020 that killed more than 150 people and wounded thousands.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes Nada Homsi’s release and condemns her arbitrary detention. We are deeply concerned over the circumstances surrounding Nada’s detentions, twice in five months and the attempts to distort her image. We call for an independent and transparent inquiry into the matter.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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