William Noun summoned over 'sectarian incitement' and 'alleged violation of Israel boycott law'
The complaint, sent to L'Orient Today by Noun on Friday, was filed by Hassan Ibrahim, a lawyer reportedly close to Hezbollah, after a speech Noun delivered during the fifth anniversary commemoration of the Beirut port explosion on Aug. 4.
Speaking to L'Orient Today Friday, Noun said: "They accused me of sympathizing with Israel, which isn't even true because I didn't even use the word Israel. And if I were to mention it, I would mention it negatively. Accusing me of collaborating with Israel is something funny. Inciting sectarian violence is part of what they have said against me."
L'Orient Today viewed the video of his remarks and was able to confirm that Noun did not mention Israel.
The complaint alleges that during his speech, audience members began chanting 'Hezbollah is a terrorist organization,' to which Noun responded that "there is no one left of them," in apparent reference to losses Hezbollah suffered during its 2024 war with Israel.
According to the plaintiff, Noun was 'clearly alluding to the resistance's 5,000 martyrs who fell during the Israeli war against Lebanon.'
At the end of his speech, Noun said, 'Just because Hassan Nasrallah has died doesn't mean all his sins are forgiven.'
In his complaint, Ibrahim argued that Noun 'expressed dangerous empathy with the Israeli enemy, provoking the popular base of the resistance, which makes up at least half of the Lebanese population, among whom it is rare to find a family that has not offered a martyr during the brutal aggression that Lebanon endured.'
Ibrahim said that this statement referred to 'Hezbollah martyrs who were killed during the war and after the cease-fire on Nov. 27, which Israel is not abiding by.' On his Facebook page, Ibrahim added, "Those martyrs are our friends, relatives, and school friends, and their legacy should be respected," alongside a photo of the complaint.
The complaint accuses Noun of making inflammatory remarks at a sensitive national moment, stating that his comments "incite sectarian and partisan divisions," particularly given his different sectarian background from those he criticized. It further claims his language "resembles that of the Israeli enemy" and violates Lebanon's boycott law.
The filing also pointed to Noun's affiliation with a political group critical of Hezbollah, suggesting he supports a 'hostile approach to the resistance,' and warns that accusing Hezbollah of involvement in the port explosion is a 'serious and dangerous' allegation that could undermine civil peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
7 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
The mayor of a town on the southern Lebanese border comes under Israeli fire
The Israeli army opened fire toward the mayor of Mari, Salmane Abou al-Alaa, while he was inspecting the border area of Abbasieh, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah. 'During a tour I was conducting with members of the Southern Council to inspect the border village of Abbasieh, the Israelis deliberately fired near us, forcing us to halt our tour and leave the area,' the elected official told our publication. These shootings come as the Israeli army continues to violate the truce concluded nearly nine months ago between Israel and Hezbollah. In this context, an Israeli drone dropped a sonic bomb on the town of Kfar Kila in the Marjayoun district and on the village of Ramieh in the Bint Jbeil district on Saturday. Another Israeli drone targeted an excavator on the outskirts of Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, near the town of Blida. Katz confronts Aoun On another note, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz sent 'a direct message' to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday. 'We consider you, along with the Lebanese government, directly responsible for maintaining Lebanon's sovereignty and implementing the cease-fire agreement. We will not return to the situation that prevailed before Oct. 7 and will continue to act forcefully against any violation,' he emphasized, shortly after the Israeli army carried out strikes in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Army, General Rodolphe Haykal, inspected on Friday the site of last Saturday's explosion at a weapons depot in the Sour district, which had killed six soldiers. 'The army has no option but to continue fulfilling its duty in the face of repeated aggressions by the Israeli enemy, as safeguarding the homeland is a sacred mission for which sacrifices are required,' he stressed. Recently, the Lebanese authorities tasked the Lebanese Army with developing a plan to disarm Hezbollah, a decision strongly contested by the party.
MTV Lebanon
11 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Geagea Slams Qassem: 'Your Authority Means Nothing to Free Lebanese!'
Head of the Lebanese Forces Party Samir Geagea wrote on his X account: "Sheikh Naim Qassem's speech yesterday is unacceptable by all standards, as it constitutes a direct threat primarily to the Lebanese government, secondly to the parliamentary majority that granted this government its confidence, and to all constitutional institutions in Lebanon, foremost among them the Presidency and the Prime Minister's office. It is also a direct threat to every free Lebanese citizen. Sheikh Naim is very mistaken to assume that there are no longer any free Lebanese in Lebanon, and if he thinks that this way he can impose his nonexistent authority on these free Lebanese, he is also mistaken. At this sensitive moment in Lebanon's history, we stand united as free Lebanese, forming the majority in Lebanon behind our constitutional institutions, represented especially by the President and the Prime Minister, who are striving with all their patriotism, drive, and strength to restore Lebanon to itself, to bring the state back to order, to bring Lebanon's friends back, and to restore the support of the international community. The current phase is truly foundational, and we will spare no effort in supporting our constitutional institutions, standing fully behind them, and doing everything possible to prevent anyone from sabotaging this endeavor once again."
MTV Lebanon
12 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Maronite Antonine Order celebrates 325th anniversary in presence of President Aoun
The Maronite Antonine Order celebrated its 325th anniversary (1700–2025) with an official and public ceremony at the Monastery of Mar Chaaya in Metn. The event was attended by President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun, First Lady Neamat Aoun, and Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi. In his homily after the Gospel, Patriarch Rahi prayed alongside the President for the extension of state sovereignty and the establishment of a just and lasting peace across all Lebanese territory. Rahi also called for the initiation of a reconstruction plan and expressed hope that Lebanon remains "a nation of mission and calling, a land of holiness and witness, a country of unity in diversity intended by God to be a beacon in the East." He added: 'We also pray for a sincere national will and sustained effort to move beyond the mentality of quota-sharing, obstruction, and isolation—toward an inclusive national vision that builds rather than destroys, unifies rather than divides.'
