A group of Hezbollah members reportedly assaulted journalist Daoud Rammal on Saturday while he was praying at his mother’s grave in his southern hometown of Doueir, in the Nabatiyeh district. The attack comes in the wake of threats made by Hezbollah-aligned figures, who had vowed to target independent voices opposing Lebanon’s involvement in what they described as an Iranian-led war, waged at the expense of the Shiite community. 

We, the undersigned, view this attack as a grave development, no less dangerous than the Israeli assaults on southern Lebanese villages. Freedom is as sacred as land, and political violence against dissenters within Lebanon serve as a concerning precursor to broader attacks on individuals and groups who have opposed dragging our people in the South, Bekaa, Dahiyeh, and all of Lebanon into a futile, senseless war with objectives that go against Lebanon’s role as a shared homeland for all its citizens, as envisioned by Imam Moussa al-Sadr.

We bring this assault to the attention of the Lebanese Army, security forces, judiciary, and all freedom-loving citizens in Lebanon.

Today, the target is Daoud Rammal. Tomorrow, it could be any one of us or any citizen of Lebanon.

This is an open statement for signatures from all those who stand for freedom.

Signatories:

• Ali Murad
• Ali Al-Amin
• Imad Chidiac
• Qassem Youssef
• Abbas Al-Jawhari
• Waddah Al-Sadiq
• Elias Hankach
• Paula Yaacoubian
• Ibrahim Mneimneh
• Patrick Richa
• Hadi Murad
• Malik Mroueh
• Jad Al-Akhwi
• Jad Yatim
• Ahmad Matar
• Mohammad Chami
• Mohammad Barakat