Recent charges and prosecutions against news outlets, journalists and bloggers by Lebanese government officials reflect an urgent need to reform press and other laws to improve protection for freedom of expression. Article 13 of the Lebanese constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press “within the limits established by law.” But the press law and penal code, audiovisual media law and military code of justice — which media outlets are also subject to — don’t have adequate safeguards to protect the rights of journalists and bloggers. One of the critical issues with the current law is that it criminalizes defamation, authorizing prison terms for journalists and anyone else found guilty. Defamation cases in Lebanon have typically resulted in journalists being fined, not imprisoned; but the threat of prison has a chilling effect on freedom of expression, especially since defaming public figures is considered a crime. In an alarming
