Firas Hatoum summoned: The ongoing legal saga surrounding LBCI's 'Marhaba Dawle'

After the Lebanese state filed a lawsuit against LBCI's "Marhaba Dawle" program in January, the state reacted once again by summoning the program's producer, Firas Hatoum, to the Internal Security Forces (ISF), specifically to the Intelligence Branch, on Thursday.

According to the program's producer, he was summoned for using ISF uniforms (costumes) and (fake) weapons. 

He stated, after he exited the interrogation, which lasted for approximately two hours that those costumes were already available and not bought to film the program.

On Wednesday, Hatoum revealed on the "X" platform that the summoning was initiated based on a directive from the Military Court's Government Commissioner Judge Fadi Akiki.

Additionally, according to the nonprofit research and advocacy organization "Legal Agenda," Article 144 of the Military Judicial Law "penalizes imprisonment for a period ranging from two months to two years for anyone impersonating a military figure or wearing military attire."

However, the organization stated that Judge Fadi Akiki exceeded his legal authority by summoning Hatoum for investigation before the Intelligence Branch.

The organization said, "It is legally established that violations committed within the scope of television programs fall under the Publications Law, according to the Television and Radio Broadcasting Law (Article 35)."

"Therefore, they fall outside the jurisdiction of the military judiciary, and the investigation into them is exclusively under the jurisdiction of the investigative judge," it added.

On January 25, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) received a lawsuit filed by the Lebanese state/ Ministry of Interior, seeking to suspend the "Marhaba Dawle" program. 

This legal action was taken in protest of what the state described as the program's violation of "moral" and "ethical" boundaries.

Once again, despite numerous crises affecting the country, the Lebanese state prioritized its attention on the issue of plastic weapons and military uniforms available to everyone in commercial stores, ignoring the pressing issues plaguing the nation.