DAILY NEWS
Raja Salameh Still in Custody, Judge Ghada Aoun Files Appeal Against Setting Bail
According to L’Orient Today yesterday, “a source confirmed to L’Orient Today that [first investigating judge at the Mount Lebanon Court of Appeal Judge Nicolas] Mansour authorized Raja Salameh’s release on bail of LL500 billion alongside the imposition of a travel ban and asset freeze, but Judge Aoun was expected to appeal the decision to release the detainee, who has been in custody since March 17 on charges of illicit enrichment brought by Aoun.” [L’Orient Today] Judge Ghada Aoun confirmed this today after she filed an appeal contesting Mansour’s decision to release Raja Salameh on bail. [L’Orient Today]
Public Prosecutor Calls for Freezing of Riad Salameh’s Personal Assets
According to Reuters, “The senior judicial source confirmed to Reuters that Public Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat on Wednesday sent a letter to Lebanon’s Justice Ministry informing it that he had requested the freezing of assets belonging to Salameh and his associates in Swiss, French, Belgian, German and Luxembourg banks.” [Reuters]
UN’s Najat Rochdi: Lebanon Needs to Fully Commit to Protecting Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities
U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi said, “the important step by the Lebanese Parliament towards the ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by adopting a law, on 29 March, authorizing the Government to proceed with the ratification process . . . Lebanon showed its commitment to the human rights of persons with disabilities by signing the Convention in 2007. Lebanon now needs to take the next step of ratification to join the current 185 States parties to the Convention and fully commit to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities.” [Naharnet]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies
[Podcast Episode] Cooperatives in the Agri-food sector: Solutions for Necessity-driven Entrepreneurs in Rural Areas in Lebanon
Alternative Frequencies Podcast “Marie-Louise El-Hayek, project manager and gender coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon, discusses with Lina Maddah the policies pertaining to the creation and sustainability of efficient cooperatives and associations in the agri-food sector in rural areas of Lebanon. She also addresses the importance of providing viable tools for understanding the constraints and opportunities in agricultural cooperation, and sheds light on women’s empowerment and their role in rural cooperatives.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.