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Conflict Incident Report
Sit-in protesting the charges against satirist Charbel
A group of friends, colleagues and supporters of Khalil gathered outside the court before the hearing to denounce the case filed against him.
Some of the protesters stood with a black ribbon tied around their mouths to signify censorship, while others held signs reading “Je Suis Charbel,” or “I am Charbel.”
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Abdel-Latif Derian accused Khalil last week of defaming Islam in a Twitter post last week, urging Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi to take action.
A Lebanese court Monday referred the case of TV comedy producer Charbel Khalil over allegations of defaming Islam on Twitter to an appeals court, judicial sources told The Daily Star.
Khalil and his lawyer, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, walked out of Beirut’s Justice Palace Monday to loud cheers from his supporters, announcing that the case would be seen by an appeals court.
Kanaan said Khalil will remain free, denouncing “the attempts to transform this case into a sectarian issue” and use it to incite strife.
Judicial sources said Judge Nada Asmar briefed State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud of the content of Khalil's statement. Hammoud referred the case to Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Claude Karam with recommendations that Khalil be charged and referred to the relevant judicial authorities for trial.
See more at: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Feb-23/288424-lebanon...