Qortbawi Hands Parliament Request to Lift Merehbi’s Immunity over Army Remarks
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi handed parliament on Thursday a request to lift immunity off MP Moeen al-Merehbi.
The request was made to parliament’s general secretariat and at the behest of the Army Command after it accused him of incitement against the army, reported al-Jadeed television.
Merehbi later told LBCI television that he “is ready to be tried.”
He added a hope that all powers, regardless of their rank, would be held accountable as well.
On July 31, the Army Command announced that it had “launched measures aimed at prosecuting Merehbi” after he “insisted on attacking the military institution and insulting its leadership.”
Earlier that day, Merehbi slammed Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji as an “unsuccessful person,” accusing him of being “responsible for all the mistakes and seditions.”
The lawmaker also said the army commander is “an employee who should do his job,” accusing him of “exploiting the (military) institution in order to become the next president of the republic.”
In a statement issued by the Army Command in response to Merehbi’s remarks, the military institution said: “Let the lawmaker know that all the officers and soldiers of the army are not his employees, but rather the servants of all the Lebanese people, and they only abide by the decisions of the legitimate authorities and the collective national will.”
Merehbi has been locked in a war of words with the military institution ever since the shooting death in May of Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed at an army checkpoint in Akkar.
23 August 2012, 13:34
16
Apparently you look at things in one eye. Not sure what you call all the kidnapping that happened over the last week. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR JUSTIFICATION AS THERE ARE NONE. Kidnapping is the work of cowords and terrorists. I would be happy to see the day where these terrorists are being brought to justice.
23 August 2012, 14:01
00
Army Commander not doing his job !wow ,does this kind of criticism warrant this kind of action?.. hell no,unless you live in a place like Iran,Syria and few other countries where criticism of officials right or wrong can cost you your life. well take it easy Mr justice Minister and put your effort in something meaningful ,like issue a warrant for this thug who tried to blow up MP Harb .
23 August 2012, 14:08
00
M8, and M14, you shouldn't argue. You have so much in common.
You are both idiots
23 August 2012, 16:18
14
nothing will happen from this as an MP is protected from prosecution by law, but this is all about the incompetence of this government and the chief of the army.
they are trying to silence everyone by igniting more strife.
instead if they would have done what needed to be done against the abductors and the syrian regime, it would have been more fruitfull.
but no, this cabinet of traitors is doing whatever to ignite strife in the country.
23 August 2012, 14:52
14
In a democracy any citizen should be able to criticize anyone or any entity without any consequences. He’s a member of parliament and has immunity. If the army screws up the we should be able to criticize it..We should be able to critises the president, army, hizballa and anyone..no one of them is appointed by god.
23 August 2012, 17:49
17
He said the army is not doing its job and is causing more harm than good...now, unless you want a military state, we should be able to say such things about our army.
Now about treason: Your master Nasrallaat likes to accuse everyone of treason...who holds him responsible dakhlak?
el3ama sho inkon aghbiyaa2.
23 August 2012, 15:00
04
How is it freedom and democracy to not be able to criticize your own institutions? How karim? Try him, but for what? In a deomcracy, u should be able to say whatever you want. thats freedom of speech. have you ever watched Jon stewart of Colbert? they make fun of the president, say whatever thay want.
23 August 2012, 15:19
73
hang the wahabi clown!!just ask yourself if the army goes down who will take it's place
23 August 2012, 17:50
17
The biggest threat to the army is something called hizbullaat but your majnoon in keserwan seems to be getting in bed comfortably with them...
Ma fi aghba min 3awn ella el3awniyeen...
23 August 2012, 15:34
14
"hang" him... because it is better to remain silent when Lebanon is violated, people are abducted, Lebanese people are murdered by Syrian shells in their homes... tsk tsk tsk...
I understand that kerwaneh lowIQ and FT prefer our government to sit still and shut up... We do not want to interfer in Syria's affairs, but how much more are we going to take punches and shut up!
I don't know how much of Merhebi's accusations are true, but I sure know that our army is the most useless army in the world, so cut out the "God save the army" speech, because it hase no line of command, no equipment, poor training and a faulty hierarchy, and it remains in the shadow of HB...alas...
23 August 2012, 18:07
14
Thepatriot......>>>> FT... Stop playing dumb! Dissarm HB, build an independant state, and all the countries in the world will gladly equip our army!
He's NOT playing. He is naturally DUMB! LOL
23 August 2012, 15:35
14
We want a Strong Army, a true chain of command, impartiality... we have none! And we suffer from it!
23 August 2012, 15:43
00
it seems that aoun got the message, jamil el sayyed in his last saying reprimended the general for his neutral stand concerning samaha, saying that the syrian regime helped him in the case of the israeli agent fayez karam by interfering with hassoun, so why he is not helping in the case of samaha???..so in the coming days u will see more stands from kortbawi(aouns minister) in the cases helping the syrian regime ..and from the general in person defending semaha.
23 August 2012, 16:26
00
now lebanon is acting like syria in using threats and control over those who speak out. this is ridiculous. where is the rage against syria crossing into lebanon and bombing and killing? where is the rage against the mokdad family kidnapping syrians in lebanon? where is the rage against street protesters blocking the airport road? grow up lebanon.
23 August 2012, 16:52
04
Folks any citizen, politician can make critize or accuse anyone at anytime in the western world. just look at US presidential elections Obama vs Romney they accuse & critisize each othe 24/7. that is what you call democratic nation. if we look at it in M8 prospective they should be both tried in court then & the president should be stripped from his immunity what a joke shame on us. the world looking & laughing at us.
23 August 2012, 16:58
14
threat to Irael? let's be smart & make peace with the ennemy instead of having an armed terrorist gang beating on us everyday. look at Jordan, Egypt until recently, they are in peace & ther is no problem. Jordan & Egypt annually receives tens of thousands of tourists. what do we get from Iran anything then weapons that certain groups in our country raise their weapons on us.
23 August 2012, 21:27
11
If aid to Hezbullah stops due to events in Syria, the half of the population in Lebanon who are Shiites will have no alternative to a civil rights movement aimed at overturning the Taef Accord's power-sharing formula. This controversy about criticizing the Army chief is a good lesson. When you sacrifice civil rights, you sacrifice ALL of them.
23 August 2012, 23:30
01
Any member of the parliament has the right to criticize and evaluate the performance of any government employee including Qahwaji, the army commander.
We do not live in a police state and the armed forces are supposed to respond to the Government and to the representatives of the people.
24 August 2012, 01:29
01
M8 wants to prosecute a simple critisizer and the Hezz want to stop the Samaha court when he was going to set terror bombs in the country.
