Gebran Tueni

On a rainy Sunday in downtown Beirut, in St. George Cathedral at Place d'Etoile, the family of murdered Lebanese journalist Gebran Tueni gathered with the staff of his newspaper, Al-Nahar, to hold a memorial marking the fifth anniversary of Tueni's assassination. The memorial was held in the same church where Tueni was married in 2001, and where his funeral was held in 2005, as if to complete the circle of life and memory.

New York, June 1, 2009--On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the murder of Lebanese journalist Samir Qassir, the Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged that those behind the crime are still at large.

This deeply divided country reached the brink of full-scale conflict in mid-year after political and religious leaders used the news media to inflame sectarian divisions and failed to abide by the consensual style of government agreed upon at the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. A battle of words that began in December 2006 with the resignation of Shiite Hezbollah ministers and allies from the coalition government headed by Sunni Prime Minister Fouad Siniora erupted in deadly street clashes in May.

New York, December 11, 2008--The Lebanese authorities must bring to justice those responsible for the 2005 assassination of journalist Gebran Tueni, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

New York, December 12, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that two years after the Beirut assassination of a prominent Lebanese editor, the perpetrators remain at large.

On December 12, 2005, Gebran Tueni, managing director and columnist for the leading daily Al-Nahar, was killed by a bomb that targeted his armored vehicle in East Beirut. Tueni was also a member of Parliament and a harsh critic of Syrian policies. He was killed the day after he returned home from Paris, where he had spent considerable time because of fears for his safety.

New York, December 12, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that two years after the Beirut assassination of a prominent Lebanese editor, the perpetrators remain at large.

On December 12, 2005, Gebran Tueni, managing director and columnist for the leading daily Al-Nahar, was killed by a bomb that targeted his armored vehicle in East Beirut. Tueni was also a member of Parliament and a harsh critic of Syrian policies. He was killed the day after he returned home from Paris, where he had spent considerable time because of fears for his safety.

New York, May 31, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the U.N. Security Council’s establishment of an international criminal tribunal empowered to prosecute individuals responsible for a series of deadly attacks against Lebanese journalists in 2005.

The Security Council approved resolution 1757 on Wednesday, establishing an international criminal tribunal to prosecute the masterminds of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, who was killed along with 22 others in a Beirut bombing in February 2005. The resolution indicates that the tribunal would have jurisdiction over the cases of several journalists and political figures targeted for assassination prior to and following al-Hariri’s murder.

Israel's summer offensive in Lebanon was filled with danger for hundreds of journalists who braved bombs and bullets to cover fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas. The offensive began after guerrillas abducted two Israeli soldiers and killed eight near the Lebanese-Israeli border. During the 34-day conflict, one journalist and a media worker were killed, media facilities were bombed, and several reporters suffered injuries from Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) fire.

New York, December 11, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed that a year after the assassination of leading Lebanese journalist Gebran Tueni in Beirut, the perpetrators remain at large.

On December 12, 2005, Tueni, managing director and columnist for the leading daily Al-Nahar, was killed by a bomb that targeted his armored vehicle in east Beirut. Tueni was also a member of parliament and harsh critic of Syrian policies. He was killed on the day he returned home from Paris, where he had spent considerable time because of fears for his safety.

New York, June 1, 2006—A year after Lebanese journalist Samir Qassir was murdered in a Beirut car bombing those responsible remain at large. The Committee to Protect Journalists reiterates its call to Lebanese authorities and the international community to work urgently to bring to justice those behind Qassir’s murder, and the murder and maiming of two other journalists last year.