You are here
Conflict Analysis Project » Geo-Located Mapping of Conflicts » Horse in viral abuse video rescued, suspect arrested
Conflict Incident Report
Horse in viral abuse video rescued, suspect arrested
Date of incident:
April 2, 2018
Death toll:
0persons
Number of Injured:
0persons
Actors/Parties Involved:
Lebanese Civilians
Internal Security Forces (ISF)
BEIRUT: A man was arrested in Tripoli, less than a day after a video of him appearing to beat a horse with a cable went viral, a statement from the Internal Security Forces has confirmed.
The video of the abuse, shared on Facebook page Animal SOS Saturday, was later broadcasted by local media, after sparking outrage. The almost minute-long footage shows a horse tied to a fence, being hit repeatedly by two men. The horse lies helplessly on the floor of what appears to be a stable throughout the beating, while onlookers do nothing to stop the abuse.
After the video came to the attention of local NGOs, two of them, Animals Lebanon and BETA, immediately reported the incident to Tripoli authorities under the animal welfare law passed in 2017. Vice President of Animals Lebanon Maggie Shaarawi told The Daily Star that the person who filmed the video asked that his identity remain confidential.
Investigations by the Agriculture Ministry then revealed that the footage was taken in Tripoli, not in Nabatieh like the original video stated in the beginning. Soon after, Shaarawi said the ministry informed her of the primary abuser’s name but was told action could not be taken until Tuesday due to the Easter holiday.
But with the location, the name of the alleged abuser, and apparent video evidence at hand, the two NGOs moved to file a report at the local police station to legally allow an intervention. The same night, Judge Dima Dib issued a decision to rescue the horse and deliver it into the care of Animals Lebanon, Shaarawi said.
Following the decision, a unit from the ISF’s Information Branch visited the scene of the crime alongside NGO representatives early Sunday morning, and safely transported the horse to a facility in Bikfaya.
One suspect – a Lebanese national identified as M.B., born in 1967, was arrested and referred to the relevant authorities, an ISF statement said.
"His eye is bruised and swollen and he has sores all over his back," Shaarawi said, describing the horse. “But the video looks much worse than the actual injuries.”
The initial order issued allowed Animals Lebanon to rescue only the beaten horse, but the rescue mission revealed there were seven other horses at the farm, which operated as a boarding facility. "But we didn't see any signs of abuse on the others. Some were skinny and others were not," Shaarawi said.
Despite not having clear signs of abuse, the horses were ordered to be returned to their owners, and the one remaining horse that wasn't claimed by an owner was also transferred to the care of Animals Lebanon.
Shaarawi said if it is revealed that the abuser in the video is the farm’s owner rather than a worker, the NGO will demand the closing of the facility.
But an ISF source later told The Daily Star that the suspect is an employee who carried out the beating while the owner was on a trip abroad. After learning of the incident, the owner ordered for his facility to be closed temporarily, according to the ISF source.
Primary category:
Arrest/Detention
Classification of conflict (primary):
Individual acts of violence
Violent incidents which do not have a specific or a known political agenda but are caused by the general proliferation of weapons, of trained and untrained soldiers or militants, by the general inefficiency of the Justice system, and past-traditions and histories of violence within society.
Nearby Incidents
Tripoli / Fighting broke out in several areas in Beirut
Tripoli / Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace
Tripoli / Fighting spreads to the North, Beqaa, and Shouf
Tripoli / Clashes in North Lebanon
Tripoli / Zgharta Christian kills Tripoli Muslims