Source: Kataeb.org

The official website of the Kataeb Party leader
Monday 14 July 2025 13:02:05
In an increasingly fraught political environment, all eyes in Lebanon are on an upcoming parliamentary accountability session widely seen as a watershed moment for Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government. The session, scheduled nearly seven months after the cabinet secured a vote of confidence, comes at a time of mounting internal divisions, with critical questions surrounding national sovereignty, unchecked armed power, and the state’s ability to uphold the rule of law.
Set against a backdrop of incendiary rhetoric and escalating threats of violence, the judiciary now finds itself under mounting pressure to assert its independence and authority. The moment is seen by many as a litmus test of whether Lebanon can reclaim its institutions from a culture of intimidation and impunity.
Amid this climate, Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel took a bold legal step, announcing that he is filing a formal complaint against Hezbollah official Faysal Shakar, deputy head of the party’s Bekaa region, over a public speech in which he openly threatened to kill those advocating for disarmament.
“Anyone who threatens Lebanese citizens with death simply for calling for a sovereign state must be held accountable,” Gemayel wrote on X. “Anyone who thinks they can terrorize the Lebanese people through weapons and threats will be brought to justice. We will not yield to intimidation. The era of impunity is over. This state will not be built on fear.”
The controversy stems from a video that went viral on social media, showing Shakar speaking at Hezbollah’s central Ashura procession in the Bekaa on July 6. Addressing those calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament, he said: “To those inside Lebanon who keep repeating the words ‘disarmament’: We will rip out your souls! Everything can be joked about or debated, except our weapons, which are our religion, our Quran, our Prophet, our Imams, and our Mahdi.”
The comments sparked a wave of condemnation, widely seen as a direct and public incitement to violence and a threat to civil peace. Legal experts say the speech crosses a red line from free expression into explicit criminal conduct, warranting immediate judicial action.
Charles Jabbour, head of Media and Communications Department in the Lebanese Forces party, praised Gemayel’s move in remarks to Kataeb.org, saying the time had come to hold to account anyone who threatens national unity. He also reminded the public of a previous legal complaint filed by journalists and activists against Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem in a similar context.
MP Ziad Hawat also called for decisive action, urging the state to act immediately.
“Silence is no longer acceptable,” he said. “The state must reclaim its authority through concrete, firm measures, starting with the arrest and interrogation of Faysal Shakar.”
Joelle Bou Abboud, a member of the Kataeb Political Bureau, echoed those sentiments in comments to our outlet, calling Gemayel’s initiative both “courageous and necessary.” She warned that remaining silent in the face of such explicit threats would only embolden further violations.
“The era of intimidation is over,” she said. “The judiciary must act swiftly and decisively.”
Lebanon now stands at a critical juncture; one that will test not only the government’s credibility but also the judiciary’s ability to confront a long-entrenched culture of political violence and impunity. As the nation teeters between the rule of law and the rule of arms, the question remains whether Lebanon can chart a path toward a just state governed by accountability, not fear.
This is the English adaptation of an Arabic article posted on Kataeb.org by Chady Hilani.