Culture Minister, German Ambassador discuss means to strengthen cultural ties
The meeting focused on bilateral relations between Lebanon and Germany, particularly in the cultural field, and explored practical mechanisms to enhance and expand cooperation across various sectors.
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L'Orient-Le Jour
8 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Mohammad Barakat accuses Hezbollah of threatening his family
Activist Mohammad Barakat, a well-known critic of Hezbollah, accused the leadership of Hezbollah on Thursday of "waging an open war against [his] family." Speaking to L'Orient Today Friday, Barakat said that his sister-in-law was 'surrounded by a group of women in Hay al-Selom in the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday while she was visiting her family who told her: 'Isn't your husband Mohamad Barakat's brother? What are you doing here?'' According to Barakat, on the same day, while his father was taking a walk near his house in Aramoun, a man came to him and told him that he 'reads my work on Facebook and what I write' and warned him that 'he knows where he lives.' Barakat said that ARTE, the French-German channel, where filming with one of his team's members in Nabatieh, Mahmoud Shoeib, when the crew was stopped by a checkpoint for Hezbollah, their phones and footage were checked, including investigating the team of journalists, despite the team having an approval from the Lebanese Army to film.' On the same day, another member of his team was allegedly threatened to be killed 'along with his family in Baalbeck, the person wished to remain anonymous for security reasons.' 'Hezbollah's incitement campaign has reached the point of attacking women and children' In a post on his X account, the editor-in-chief of the news website Asas Media called on the president, State Security, the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army to act, stating that "state apparatuses remain silent — to put it mildly." In his message, in which he claimed that "Hezbollah's incitement campaign has reached the point of attacking women and children," he shared a post by his brother, Bahaa Barakat. "My family and I face harassment every time we enter or approach areas known for their affiliation [with Hezbollah]. The reasons range from simple disagreements to differing opinions, but the main reason remains the fact that I am Mohammad Barakat's brother. These incidents have recently intensified, to the point where we've decided not to go to the southern suburbs [of Beirut, Hezbollah's stronghold] or other similar areas," Bahaa Barakat wrote. "This human scum, who threaten physical assault and hurl insults at every opportunity, are defeated, humiliated, and resigned — struggling in the abyss they've thrown themselves into. You are cowards, unworthy even of insults, for you are beneath them. You, from whom only traitors and diminished beings emerge — the oncoming train will crush you, and history will discard you to where you truly belong." In October last year, Mohammad Barakat was targeted by a lawsuit for 'sectarian incitement' filed by Sheikh Ali Khatib, Vice President of the Higher Shiite Council. In response, Barakat — founder of the independent Shiite group Nahwa al-Inqaz ('Towards Salvation'), established in December 2024 — filed a legal complaint against the religious leader on April 24. In it, he requested that the Court of Cassation launch an investigation into Sheikh Khatib, accusing him of 'embezzling public funds and illegally occupying real estate.' Contacted by L'Orien Today, a Hezbollah source stated: 'Mohammad Barakat continues to attack us and claims every week that his family has been threatened. He stages this story at the expense of Hezbollah with the aim of attracting more attention on social media. These are false statements, fake information and filled with hypocrisy.' Barakat had been summoned in November last year by the head of the Court of Cassation, Jamal Hajjar, based on Sheikh Khatib's complaint following statements made during a television appearance on Al-Jadeed on Oct. 28, 2024. During the show, Barakat alleged that Khatib had restored four buildings in Hazmieh (Mount Lebanon) and was keeping them at his disposal, although they could house "200 families." His accusations came in the context of the war between Hezbollah and Israel (from October 2023 to November 2024), which had displaced thousands of Lebanese from southern Lebanon. After questioning, Judge Hajjar released him under the condition of choosing an official residence.
L'Orient-Le Jour
13 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Iran says 'working with China and Russia' to stop European sanctions
Iran said Thursday it was working with China and Russia to prevent the snapback of European sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program after Britain, France and Germany threatened to reimpose them. "We will try to prevent it," Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in an interview with state TV. "We are working with China and Russia to stop it. If this does not work and they apply it, we have tools to respond. We will discuss them in due course." The trio of European powers, known as the E3, told the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday that they were ready to reimpose sanctions on Tehran if no diplomatic solution was found by the end of August. All three were signatories to a 2015 deal that lifted sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. The agreement, which terminates in October, includes a "snapback mechanism" allowing sanctions to be restored. "We have made clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism," the group's foreign ministers said in the letter. "If Iran continues to violate its international obligations, France and its German and British partners will reimpose the global embargoes on arms, nuclear equipment and banking restrictions that were lifted 10 years ago at the end of August," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X on Wednesday. Araghchi said the return of sanctions would be "negative" but that the predicted economic effects "have been exaggerated." 'Legally justified' The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, effectively collapsed after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 during his first term and restored crippling sanctions. European countries attempted to keep the deal alive, while Iran initially stuck to the terms before later ramping up its uranium enrichment. Earlier this year, the United States joined Israel in bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel launched its attacks while Washington and Tehran were still pursuing nuclear talks, which have not since resumed. Western powers have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge the Iranian government strongly denies. Even before Israel attacked Iran, they had raised concerns about the lack of access given to inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran halted all cooperation with the IAEA after the strikes. Last month, Araghchi sent a letter to the U.N. saying the European countries did not have the legal right to restore sanctions. The European ministers called the claim "unfounded." They insisted that, as JCPOA signatories, they would be "clearly and unambiguously legally justified in using relevant provisions" of U.N. resolutions "to trigger U.N. snapback to reinstate UNSC resolutions against Iran which would prohibit enrichment and re-impose U.N. sanctions."
Nahar Net
15 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Iran says 'working with China and Russia' to stop European sanctions
Iran said Thursday it was working with China and Russia to prevent the snapback of European sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program after Britain, France and Germany threatened to reimpose them. "We will try to prevent it," Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said in an interview with state TV. "We are working with China and Russia to stop it. If this does not work and they apply it, we have tools to respond. We will discuss them in due course." The trio of European powers, known as the E3, told the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday that they were ready to reimpose sanctions on Tehran if no diplomatic solution was found by the end of August. All three were signatories to a 2015 deal that lifted sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. The agreement, which terminates in October, includes a "snapback mechanism" allowing sanctions to be restored. "We have made clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism," the group's foreign ministers said in the letter. "If Iran continues to violate its international obligations, France and its German and British partners will reimpose the global embargoes on arms, nuclear equipment and banking restrictions that were lifted 10 years ago at the end of August," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X on Wednesday. Araghchi said the return of sanctions would be "negative" but that the predicted economic effects "have been exaggerated". - 'Legally justified' - The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, effectively collapsed after US President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 during his first term and restored crippling sanctions. European countries attempted to keep the deal alive, while Iran initially stuck to the terms before later ramping up its uranium enrichment. Earlier this year, the United States joined Israel in bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel launched its attacks while Washington and Tehran were still pursuing nuclear talks, which have not since resumed. Western powers have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge the Iranian government strongly denies. Even before Israel attacked Iran, they had raised concerns about the lack of access given to inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran halted all cooperation with the IAEA after the strikes. Last month, Araghchi sent a letter to the U.N. saying the European countries did not have the legal right to restore sanctions. The European ministers called the claim "unfounded". They insisted that, as JCPOA signatories, they would be "clearly and unambiguously legally justified in using relevant provisions" of UN resolutions "to trigger UN snapback to reinstate UNSC resolutions against Iran which would prohibit enrichment and re-impose U.N. sanctions."
