Several years ago, but still noteworthy

The 2006 decision of the Military Court of Cassation of Lebanon in the case of civilian attorney Muhamad Abdullah Mugraby has become available on the internet. The court overturned the Permanent Military Tribunal's rejection of Mr. Mugraby's claim that he could not be tried for defaming the military and its officers based on his testimony in Brussels before the Mashrek subcommittee of the European Parliament's Committee on External Affairs. He had criticized the judiciary for its treatment of protesters who distributed leaflets complaining about the Lebanese regime and the Syrian presence in the country. He also testified that those arrested had been tortured. The Military Court of Cassation held that the military courts had no jurisdiction because he had not singled out military justice or its officials for criticism and his testimony did not constitute defamation of the military within the meaning of Art. 157 of the Code of Military Justice.