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Lebanese journalist Hajar Knio questioned over alleged 'collaboration with Israel,' accusation she denies

Lebanese journalist Hajar Knio questioned over alleged 'collaboration with Israel,' accusation she denies

BEIRUT — Lebanese journalist and activist Hajar Knio was questioned Wednesday morning by the General Security Intelligence Branch under an order from Judge Fadi Akiki, assistant government commissioner to the military court, over allegations of 'collaborating with Israel,' a charge she denies, according to Jad Shahrour, communications officer for the Samir Kassir Foundation.
Shahrour noted that 'it seems that her arrest is similar to previous arrests of journalists working for al-Arabiyah or Hadath.'
Knio had previously worked for the Saudi Al-Hadath channel, based in the United Arab Emirates and is currently an independent freelance journalist, according to her social media platforms.
Shahrour noted that although the 'Lebanese law forbids Lebanese nationals from interacting with Israel, sometimes journalists working for international or pan-Arab outlets might not have a choice to do so. Similarly, if a Lebanese journalist is attending a conference abroad and an Israeli journalist attends, and the Israeli journalist decides to greet the Lebanese journalist, how can one control such situations?'
However, he noted that Knio 'said that she never contacted Israeli journalists or anyone from Israel and that all the information from her reports that she would get, she would be citing Israeli journalists from information she got from the press not by contacting them herself.'
Lebanon and Israel are officially in a state of war, and Lebanese law strictly prohibits any contact with Israeli authorities. Such actions are considered crimes, punishable by imprisonment. Over the years, numerous individuals have been arrested for alleged collaboration with Israel, with sentences reaching up to 25 years in prison.
'I challenge anyone to prove even a single word accusing me of communicating with an Israeli '
In a Tuesday article, a judicial source told al-Modon that "a security-related arrest and investigation notice has been issued against her," noting that Lebanon's General Security detained Knio upon her arrival late Monday night from Dubai on a Middle East Airlines (MEA) flight to Beirut.
Knio was not immediately available to respond to L'Orient Today's calls for further comment.
In a statement to al-Modon on Tuesday, Knio said she was unaware of the reason for her detention, as no charges were communicated to her. She described her experience: 'I arrived at Beirut airport around midnight and waited for over an hour in line to get my passport stamped. When I reached the General Security officer and he scanned my passport, he asked me if I had any issues with anyone. I said no. Then they took me into a small room, waiting for the General Security's judicial bulletin results.'
She continued: 'After a few minutes, they brought me my bags and told me that if someone was waiting for me outside, they should leave, because I was being detained based on an arrest warrant issued by Judge Fadi Akiki.'
Knio said she asked the officer what crime she was accused of, but he replied that he did not know. 'At 9 a.m., after they had brought in a patrol car to take me to the military court, they changed their minds and released me, but confiscated both my Lebanese and Emirati phones, as well as my laptop. They instructed me to report the next day, Wednesday at 10 a.m., to the General Security Investigation Branch at the National Museum.'
Knio reaffirmed that she had no idea why she was detained: 'I'm a journalist. I worked for al-Arabiya for years, conducted investigations, and produced documentaries, some of which tackled drug networks and Captagon production. I now work independently on my own platforms.'
She concluded: 'I challenge anyone to prove even a single word accusing me of communicating with an Israeli or any internal or external intelligence agency. I will attend the investigation with a team of lawyers to see the file, which appears to be fabricated against me, and I'm ready to face them.'
Targeting of journalists 'no longer justifiable'
In response, the organization Journalists for Freedom condemned Knio's detention in the strongest terms. In a statement, the group said: 'These practices, which have increasingly targeted journalists and activists, are no longer justifiable or tolerable. They carry a retaliatory and vindictive nature aimed at silencing and intimidating dissenting voices, all within a broader climate of repression and contempt for the law. For such actions to be initiated by a judicial authority, which is supposed to protect rights, not violate them — is a dangerous sign of the erosion of freedoms in Lebanon.'
The group called on the President, Prime Minister and Minister of Justice to address the incident, warning that 'the image of the state is being damaged by these blatant violations, which erode public trust in the judiciary and state institutions.'
In January, Lebanese journalist Layal Ikhtiyar was briefly detained upon arriving in Beirut, following a military court summons over her interview with Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on al-Arabiya, aired from Dubai after the war in Gaza began. She was questioned by Judge Fadi Sawwan and released the same day
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