Jreissati Sues Charles Ayyoub for 'Harming Ties with KSA'

Caretaker Justice Minister Salim Jreissati on Tuesday filed a court case against ad-Diyar newspaper publisher and managing editor Charles Ayyoub, accusing him of harming Lebanon's relations with Saudi Arabia.

Ayyoub wrote a column blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the deaths of civilians in Yemen. He called on the Saudi ambassador to leave Lebanon, and used the terms "dogs" and "pigs" 22 times in describing the two Saudi officials.

Jreissati on Tuesday asked the prosecutor general to initiate proceedings against ad-Diyar, saying the article violated Lebanese law and endangered the country.

Saudi Arabia is closely allied with one of Lebanon's main political blocs and has provided extensive financial aid to the country.