Latest news with #Noun
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
William Noun summoned over 'sectarian incitement' and 'alleged violation of Israel boycott law'
The Central Criminal Investigation Department summoned activist William Noun, brother of a victim of the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut Port explosion, for questioning on Tuesday at noon at the Justice Palace, following a complaint accusing him of inciting sectarian strife and violating Lebanon's law on dealings with Israel, Noun told L'Orient Today Friday. 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.
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-08-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Armed altercation after Aug.4 commemoration: Activists targeted
BEIRUT — A memorial march marking the fifth anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion turned violent on Monday night when activists William Noun and Peter Bou Saab — both brothers of victims killed in the 2020 blast — were allegedly targeted by armed men following the ceremony. The Lebanese Army intervened to break up the confrontation, Noun told Al-Jadeed Monday night. The incident occurred near the port shortly after the conclusion of the official gathering organized by families of the victims. According to Noun, he and Saab were leaving the area with their families when a group of three men began arguing with Noun's cousin. The altercation quickly escalated. 'We were leaving the gathering when a group of three men got into a verbal fight with my cousin, who was with us, and they pulled out guns,' Noun said in an interview with Al-Jadeed on Monday night. 'So we did what was normal — we were with our families — we followed them, beat them up, and handed them over to the authorities.' Speaking to This is Lebanon on Monday night, Saab confirmed they were attacked by an armed individual and later went to the Gemmayze police station to report the incident and give statements. Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel visited Noun afterward to check on his condition, according to a statement from the Kataeb Party. Attempts by L'Orient Today to contact both Noun and Bou Saab for further comment were unsuccessful. During Monday's commemoration, Noun once again called for unity around the cause of justice, stating: 'We hope Hezbollah has returned to its Lebanese roots. We want everyone to stand with us on this issue.' His comment came despite the presence of Hezbollah-affiliated Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine, whom he publicly thanked for attending the ceremony. Hundreds of people, including ministers and former ministers, joined Monday's march to honor the victims and renew calls for accountability five years after one of the most devastating non-nuclear explosions in history rocked Beirut at 6:08 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2020. Noun has been a prominent public figure in the fight for justice since the Aug. 4, 2020, explosion, which killed at least 235 people and injured thousands more. He has regularly led protests calling for accountability and has been vocal in his criticism of political interference in the stalled investigation. In January 2023, Noun was briefly arrested after declaring on live television that he was "ready to blow up the Justice Palace" out of frustration over the lack of progress in the probe. He was later released on bail.
