Lebanese Journalist Maraya Maalouf Sentenced in Absentia to 15 Years in Prison

Lebanese media reported on Tuesday evening that a military court has, in recent days, sentenced exiled Lebanese media figure Maraya Maalouf to 15 years in prison in absentia, along with a ruling stripping her of her civil rights. The sentence was handed down over an interview she gave to Kan News five years ago.

Maalouf, formerly a well-known journalist in Lebanon, became known for her critical positions toward Hezbollah and was forced into exile after, in 2017, she called on Israel on social media to kill Hezbollah's then-leader Hassan Nasrallah. The unprecedented interview she gave in 2021 sparked anger among Hezbollah supporters, which led to a complaint being filed with the authorities that her appearance violated Lebanon's national principles. At the time, Maalouf was living in the United States.

In recent days, similar prison sentences have been imposed on Lebanese citizens accused of supporting Israel and IDF operations in Lebanon, despite the fact that Lebanon is currently conducting negotiations and direct dialogue with Israel under U.S. auspices.

The interview that triggered the uproar: direct talks between the countries.

Amid the developments, last week Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed the continuation of the fighting in the region and said that Iran is "using Lebanon as a bargaining chip" in the negotiations it is conducting with the United States. According to Salam, Iran is bringing "destruction and ruin" on Lebanon. The Lebanese prime minister made the remarks to ambassadors and international representatives in the country after a round of ceasefire talks with Israel held in Washington, which ended with an agreement between the two countries.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun repeated similar messages in an interview with CNN. "The peoples of Israel and Lebanon have a huge opportunity to live in peace. I think both peoples are tired of wars. The best way to end wars is diplomacy. The sides will not be able to achieve their goals otherwise."