The first summons came in mid-February. Less than a month later, the second followed. Daraj’s chief editor and a journalist from the investigative news outlet were called in for questioning by Lebanon’s Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Bureau. The reason? Two legal complaints filed by Antoun Sehnaoui, chairman of Societe Generale de Banque au Liban (SGBL).
SGBL was one of the banks Daraj mentioned in its investigation for its dealings with Riad Salame, the former governor of Lebanon's central bank, who is suspected of money laundering and corruption. Salame was sanctioned by the U.S. for financial crimes.
Sehnaoui filed his first complaint against the reporters three months after the story was published in December 2023. He filed the second one on March 10. He accused them of a sweeping list of offenses—including defamation, inciting racial strife, harming Lebanon’s foreign relations, insult, extortion and even incitement to murder.
The allegations, Daraj’s leadership says, are baseless. “These accusations are ridiculous and the complaints have no grounds,” said Alia Ibrahim, co-founder and CEO of Daraj. “But the public at large may not know this, and that’s why we have to take them seriously. Our reputation is on the line.”
In addition to Sehnaoui’s two complaints, local media outlets - including the Lebanese television channel MTV - have reported on the existence of a third legal complaint against the platform, one which Daraj has not been notified of.Â
“There’s something really weird about the complaint. Until now, we haven’t been served. What we know for a fact is that MTV became aware of it before we did,” said Ibrahim.Â
Replying to OCCRP’s questions on how the station came to know about the complaint before Daraj, the channel’s chairman and CEO Michel El Murr said that “MTV cannot be compelled to disclose its sources.”
Sehnaoui’s complaints have been taken up by Lebanon’s Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Bureau, operating under the Internal Security Forces (ISF). Yet, under Lebanese law, defamation cases involving journalists are supposed to be handled by the country’s Publications Court.Â
Daraj’s lawyer, Omar Fakhreddine, said the legal team has formally requested that the cases be transferred to the Publications Court, noting that Lebanese jurisprudence has long upheld the court’s jurisdiction over press-related cases.
This is far from an isolated incident. Between 2019 and 2024, Lebanon’s Cybercrime Bureau investigated over 1,680 defamation and insult cases, according to data cited by Amnesty International. Reporters without Borders noted that in 2023 alone, Lebanese authorities ramped up interrogations of journalists covering the economic crisis and the 2020 Beirut port explosion. “Since these two events, attacks and legal proceedings against the media have further intensified,” the group reported.
The pattern is familiar: weaponizing the legal system to intimidate journalists who uncover corruption. “These actions often target journalists who expose corruption, challenge those in power, or investigate sensitive issues,” said Jad Shahrour, communications officer at the Samir Kassir Foundation, a human rights trust. “The goal isn’t always to secure a conviction but rather to exhaust journalists mentally and financially, making it more difficult for them to continue their work.”
For Daraj, the stakes are high. Beyond reputational damage, the legal battle could drain resources and divert attention from critical investigative work. But if the intention was to silence the journalists, Ibrahim says, it won’t work. “We’re not going anywhere,” she said. “We will continue to report.”
Societe Generale de Banque au Liban did not respond to OCCRP’s request for comment in time for publication.
