Lebanon: CFWIJ condemns the targeted online trolling campaign against Yumna Fawaz

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August 13, 2021, Beirut - Journalist Yumna Fawaz was targeted with a vicious online campaign after she demanded that President Michel Aoun be held accountable for the Beirut port explosion in 2020. Following the tweet, Fawaz was targeted by supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a political party founded by Aoun, as well as its ally Hezbollah. This is not the first time Fawaz has been targeted by members of the FPM, which makes her feel very concerned for her safety.

Yumna Fawaz posted a tweet on July 31 demanding that President Aoun be questioned for his responsibility in the Beirut port explosion. Following which not only did she receive deeply gendered abuse and threats, but a defamation campaign was initiated against her on social media.

Those attacking her falsely claimed that Fawaz was involved in the explosion, using her past work out of context to justify their claims. In 2012, Fawaz had reported on the operations of the Syrian opposition as they manufactured explosives in a warehouse in Idlib. Her video of the time was then used to somehow accuse her for the explosion that took place in Beirut eight years later. Fawaz has expressed intent to initiate a defamation lawsuit against those falsely accusing her of being involved in the incident. She believes this to be a smear campaign orchestrated by the FPM and Hezbollah.

The hate Fawaz is facing, however, remains a matter of concern. This is not the first time she has been targeted by members of the ruling party. Earlier, she was attacked by a female member of the FPM. Yumna also says she regularly receives threats and messages filled with hate speech on her Whatsapp number making her extremely concerned for her safety.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns these intimidation tactics against Yumna Fawaz. To threaten, insult or falsely accuse a journalist in response to demands of accountability is absolutely reprehensible behaviour. This relentless campaign against Yumna must stop immediately in order to preserve productive political dialogue in the country and to continue to hold those in power accountable.