Al-Jadeed Reporter Ghadi Francis Beaten during SSNP Elections
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Al-Jadeed female correspondent Ghadi Francis was “severely beaten” on Sunday by MP Asaad Hardan’s bodyguard Hussein Hashem, al-Jadeed television reported.
Francis was in Dhour el-Shweir area to cover the electoral process held by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
She told the National News Agency that SSNP leader MP Asaad Hardan’s bodyguard, Hussein Hashem asked her to leave, and assaulted her when she refused.
The party apologized from the TV station, denying that the MP’s bodyguard beat up Al-Jadeed correspondent, condemning the incident.
Francis told NNA that she was on the street, right in front of the hotel where the elections were held, and the bodyguard came out asking her to leave.
The reporter insisted she was on a public street, not inside the hotel, which prompted a violent response from the SSNP member.
“The bodyguard beat up Ghadi, punching her in the face and kicking her multiple times,” NNA reported.
Francis said that several people tried to intervene, “including Firas Shoufi, my colleague in al-Akhbar daily, but the bodyguard also hit him in the face.”
Media Against Violence condemned the attack against Francis, calling for legal measures to be brought against the assailant.
“Targeting journalists is a result of the friendly environment which Hizbullah’s cabinet provides by attempting to silence free voices and distort facts,” the group said in a statement.
“We call on the authorities concerned to take the appropriate measures to track the perpetrator and take legal measures against him,” the statement added.
The SSNP issued a statement apologizing from al-Jadeed, and denying that that the SSNP member who beat Francis is Hardan’s bodyguard.
“We apologize from al-JAdeed, and the head of the station’s Board of Directors Mr. Tahsin Khayyat, as well as all the staff,” the party said.
SSNP added that “the man whose name was mentioned as the correspondent’s assailant is not Hardan’s bodyguard. He is a journalist who works for (the party’s mouthpiece) al-Binaa newspaper.”
The party said it will follow up on the issue with the relevant authorities, condemning that attack that “contradicts with the ethics and culture of the party”.
10 June 2012, 21:50
29
Now all the media reporters should start a "media resistance" and carry arms with them all the time.
Next time one of the polticians bodyguards punches a woman in the face, it will rain bullets on his own.
11 June 2012, 09:06
23
since yesterday, I have been astonished at this news!
are we in lebanon? is this happening here?
things happening here these days represent us lebanese? since when a woman is punched in the face and kicked several times? (and in public)
are the thugs driving our life?
with this government all the thugs are loose to do whatever they want unpunished!
definately we need to be constantly armed to face this law of the jungle era.
good job m8....
11 June 2012, 12:54
02
Geha lil2assaf...Lebanon is going down the drain in all aspects of life
11 June 2012, 12:56
01
All we Lebanese are good at doing is claiming that we are always right and who ever disagrees with us should be shot dead on the spot! A bit of humility and modesty would far for us Lebanese!
11 June 2012, 09:28
30
Your fellow citizen is the azaar. Shame on both of you. I guess most of you don't know what is sarcasm.
11 June 2012, 01:59
27
What a shoking sexist and chauvinistic statement! Then again maybe not so stoking considering the source is M8. Their actions and speech betray their true neanderthal philosophy and state of mind.
11 June 2012, 02:40
04
The SSNP should be placed in the bin of Lebanons History, a party of such idoelogy would not be permitted to operate in a normal civil country.
11 June 2012, 02:49
51
As bad as this incident is, and the perpetrator deserves to be beaten to death, Hariri Mafia killed two supporters of Shaker Berjawi not long ago in Beirut and destroyed scores of cars and private and public property and not one word about the incident was written here. Democracy, freedom and sovereignty alright, as well as the love of life and the institutions. ya 3ein
11 June 2012, 14:24
02
so, somehow this is still justified in your eyes.
I feel sorry for you and the people that chose to be your friends. In no civilized country should this be allowed. Of course, these are syrian supporters, so it's probably business as usual in their eyes.
11 June 2012, 19:30
10
We never said we support this samiam! We said all such acts should be published not only the ones that are of interest to M14. Nothing else. Read before you comment you will look smarter :)
11 June 2012, 04:04
00
Karim ma 7ere2lak albak Ella LF wen shalla Hal 7al7ari2 mabyentefi la abad lebdin
11 June 2012, 09:13
14
Physical violence is the practice of those who lack the intelligence to talk. And to hit a woman is plain retardation.
On another note, shouldn't the article say SSNP "apologized to al Jadeed" rather than apologized from al Jadeed", it sounds like a translation from Arabic... With all due respect to the Naharnet staff who do a great job in my opinion.
11 June 2012, 11:00
21
The people accusing the person of probably "being part of M14" are stupid, we all know that, but then the people from M14 come here and say that this bodyguard represents all of M8. Ahhhh, Lebanon. No thinking, just shouting.
11 June 2012, 11:29
05
How else kan SSNP and ther likes prove they are "real" men? Another alternative is to hide in a hole.
11 June 2012, 13:16
14
i d like to ask FPMers how they feel to be allied to a party that wants lebanon and syria to be one... who denies the existence of lebanon and dream of a greater syria! isn t that contradictory to what they pretend to want? a sovereign and independent lebanon?
see how illogic FPM and M8 are....
11 June 2012, 19:33
10
please give me a clear reference or statement from M8 supporting your words :)
11 June 2012, 20:17
00
still no answer to my simple question? doesn t surprise me from M8 sheep...
11 June 2012, 21:18
00
Ghadi Francis is part of the SSNP, by the way. Just pointing this out so people know that the reason he beat her is probably not political.
12 June 2012, 01:55
00
After all, she said to the SSNP exactly what Dr. Hayto Wati said when Joumblat insulted him (and Jumblat insults everybody, even himself, but nobody is as Hayto Wateh as Dr. Hayto Wateh): darb alhabeeb metl akl el zbeeb
