The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is facing a number of lawsuits, filed by employees of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York, against the backdrop of “arbitrary dismissal” decisions taken by the Ministry.

Asharq al-Awsat newspaper stated that the Foreign Ministry attributed the reasons for the dismissals to cost-cutting measures. However, the employees argue that their dismissals were retaliatory for seeking legal recourse against a previous decision by the Foreign Minister.

The employees assert that the Ministry’s decision to cancel their job grades has caused harm to them and their families, and led to a significant reduction in their salaries nearly to 40%.

The lawsuits, presented by lawyer Hisham Shbeib requested the State Shura Council to review the case, annul the contested decisions, and hold the ministry accountable for legal fees and expenses.