Al-Jadeed employees 'fear for safety' after report on Nasrallah mausoleum
Thirty-four employees of the Lebanese television channel Al-Jadeed said they feared for their safety in a letter to management Monday, following the airing of a report that criticized the cost of a mausoleum for former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024 during the latest war between Hezbollah and Israel (October 2023-November 2024).
The controversial nine-minute segment, aired Friday during a talk show hosted by Josephine Dib, allegedly was not produced by Al-Jadeed and did not reflect the channel's editorial position, according to a clarification cited by the independent news site al-Modon.
The report alleged that tens of millions of dollars were spent on acquiring land and building the mausoleum, while many Hezbollah supporters whose homes were destroyed in the war have not been compensated. The segment reportedly identified former and current owners of the properties and claimed the purchases were funded by 'non-transparent Iranian money' and "bags filled with smuggled dollars" — bypassing official banking channels.
The investigation estimated that both land acquisition and construction costs reached $50 million each. It further claimed the transactions did not go through Lebanon's Finance Ministry but were approved only by the Bourj al-Barajneh municipality, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The report triggered a backlash on social media, with some Hezbollah supporters accusing the channel of spreading Israeli propaganda and inciting public opinion against the party.
In their letter to management, Al-Jadeed staff said they felt 'in danger' and that their families and relatives had also received threats. They urged management to 'act as quickly as possible to resolve these issues and ensure the safety of all employees.' The letter emphasized that employees do not influence the station's editorial direction, but their safety is at risk due to 'practices and trends adopted by the channel that could provoke internal conflict.'
L'Orient-Le Jour contacted Al-Jadeed's administration and one of its journalists for comment, but both were unavailable.
Hezbollah's media outlet al-Manar responded Monday, describing the report as 'nine minutes of polite incitement' disguised as investigative journalism. It said the segment lacked basic professional standards and accused Al-Jadeed of attempting to stir domestic unrest. The channel claimed that official records disproved the report's assertions.
On Saturday, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi called the investigation a 'qualified crime' and urged the judiciary to take immediate action.
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