Five Noteworthy Stories You Might Have Missed in Lebanon This Week (2/2)
1. Lebanese Sheikh Omar Al Atrash Accused of Dahiyeh Attacks (Photo via the Daily Star)
Sheikh Omar Atrash was charged on Thursday over his alleged involvement in several car bombings in Lebanon. The 24-year-old Sunni sheikh was charged, along with 12 other fugitives, for alleged involvement in the January 2 and January 21 bombings in Dahiyeh.
2. Kidnapped Man Lured by Girl through Whatsapp (Photo via Naharnet)
According to Naharnet, 27-year -old Julien Antoun was abducted in Oyoun al-Siman on Tuesday b a girl who contacted him via Whatsapp. Antoun’s mother received a phone call from the kidnappers at midnight informing her that her son was abducted and demanding $3 million in exchange for his release.
3. Lebanese Singer Aline Lahoud Performs on The Voice in France (Photo via Radio Light FM)
On January 25, Lebanese singer Aline Lahoud auditioned for The Voice France. All four judges of the show turned around in their chairs in a bid to claim her for their team. Lahoud chose to be on Florent Pagny’s team. Lahoud is the daughter of Lebanese singer Salwa Al Katrib and producer Nahi Lahoud.
4. Lebanon Unveils Stamp to Honor Armenian Genocide Victims
Photo of the new stamp which will be produced in memory of the Armenian Genocide pic.twitter.com/AGB0pKOebn
On Tuesday, caretaker Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui announced the release of a stamp to honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Turkey continues to deny the genocide ever took place.
5. Gino Raidy Interrogated by Cyber Crimes Bureau over Blog Post (Photo via cloudfront.net)
On Wednesday, Beirut bloger Gino Raidy was interrogated by the Cyber Crimes Bureau over a blog post he wrote in July 2013 warning readers about the potential perils of pyramid schemes. In the post, he mentioned – among other companies – Cube 7 managed by the Bonofa company. The bureau agreed to let him go only after he agreed to sign a statement “guaranteeing his right to express an opinion freely without using slander or libelous terms.”
In 2013, Al-Jadeed journalist Rami al Amine, blogger Rita Kamel and activist Jean Assy were all questioned by the Cyber Crimes Bureau in cases accusing them of libel over comments they made on social media channels or in blog posts.
