Lebanese Blogger Accused of Libel Over Pan Arab Web Awards Post

Lebanese blogger Rita Kamel was called into the Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Bureau twice in the past week over a blog post she wrote back in January titled: “Congrats! You are an idiot! Pan Arab Web Awards Academy Scam.”

The blog explained why she believes the registration process for the pan Arab web awards was a scam and “more like an advertising ceremony than a real academy awards.” Kamel found it “unethical and illogical” that the awards’ organizers asked registrants to pay money to claim their prizes.

On her blog Monday, Kamel says a libel case is being brought against her. She also said investigators had a problem with the adjectives she used in the piece. “I was describing and critiquing a process but it sounded like I was judging and being disrespectful – especially in the Arabic translation – which was not my intention at all.”

“I was asked questions about my background and my intentions, and made a deposition.”