Parliament gives green light for TV station critical of Syria to reopen

Reporters Without Borders today hailed the Lebanese parliament's approval yesterday of a legislative amendment permitting the reopening of MTV, a television station critical of Syria that was closed by the authorities on 4 September 2002. "This decision bodes well for press freedom in Lebanon," the organisation said. The amendment to article 68 of the media law, which was voted unanimously by the legislators present, excludes the possibility of compensation for MTV. The TV station's reopening was one of the opposition's leading demands during the legislative elections held in May and June after the departure of Syria's troops, which had occupied Lebanon for 29 years. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 21.10.2005 Appeals court confirms closure of opposition radio and TV stations Reporters Without Borders criticised Lebanon's press appeals court for confirming today a decision to shut down the privately-owned Murr Television (MTV), which is critical of Syria, and a radio station, Jebel Lubnan, which belongs to the Gabriel Murr media group. "The definitive closure of these two opposition media is a very serious omen for freedom of expression in Lebanon, which boasts of having more press freedom than most Arab countries," said Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard in a letter to Lebanese President Emile Lahud. "It is very worrying for the future of media diversity and will be taken as a warning by all the country's media." MTV's lawyers lodged an appeal on 28 October against a 4 September order by the press court closing the two stations for "harming relations with Syria and the dignity of the head of state," as well as for violating the electoral law. The ruling was criticised by the United States and the European Union and by a range of Lebanese political parties. Information minister Ghazi Aridi had personally told Murr in June that the closure decision had been made and said on 4 September he was sorry about it because it was more political than legal. Murr was elected to parliament at a by-election in June, defeating his niece Myrna Murr, who is also the sister of interior minister Elias Murr. The constitutional council annulled the election on 4 November.