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Migrant domestic worker found guilty of murder of child Celine

5-7-2017

The Criminal Court of Beirut chaired by Judge Hani Abdel Mounim Hajjar pronounced yesterday its verdict in the murder of toddler Celine Rakan. The Ethiopian domestic worker, Bosai, was sentenced to 20-years imprisonment with hard labor and forced to pay in personal compensation the amount of LBP 150 million to plaintiff, Celine’s father, Yasser Rakan. It should be noted, that the case of Rakan has been surrounded with conflicting reports and inconsistent information which did not help in unmasking the truth about the killing in the beginning. The father originally said his daughter died after being administered a vaccine, only to claim later after uncovering security footage from inside the house that Bosai has strangled his child and stolen items from his residence. Bosai, for her part, has accused the father of sexual harassment. The Felony Court compiled in its 18-page sentence all statements made by the suspect at all stages of the investigation process, as well as testimonies of eyewitnesses, mainly doctors, focusing on the surveillance cameras inside the house, which showed that Bosai had disconnected and later reconnected the power twice. The sentence also outlined all the suspect’s statements before the court and arrived at an indubitable conviction that Bosai has killed Celine . (Al Mustaqbal, July 5, 2017)
 

Previous related news:
Domestic violence daily reporting in Lebanon!
Celine’s case to be heard in court and retrial for the accused in the murder of Eliane
Trial of Ethiopian housemaid allegedly involved in the death of child Rakan in later 2014

 

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Shiite National Campaign to Increase Custody Age

5-7-2017

The head of the National Campaign to Increase the Age of Custody for the Shiite Sect, Zeina Ibrahim, has reportedly begun a new battle to get the custody of her 7-year old child from her ex-husband who, after 5 years of abandonment due to an agreement between the two, and in order to pressure the mother, decided to take back his son. The paradox, Al Akhbar newspaper today wrote, is that the child will live with his paternal grandparents, because the father does not have a separate or child-friendly home, whereas the mother owns an independent house where the child has lived for years. The newspaper went on to say, that for the moment, the child lives with his grandparents after Ibrahim handed him over to his father to avoid placing him in situations of tension, disclosing that she is about to file a lawsuit at the Jaafarite Court to get a joint custody of her son. This poses a real challenge for many mothers out there who lie in wait for fair verdicts in the absence of a civil personal status law, Al Akhbar said. In conclusion, the newspaper stressed that the incident has reawakened the issue of custody under the sectarian system to reiterate the need to adopt a civil law that examines each case separately to ensure the interests of the child. (Al Akhbar, July 5, 2017)

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Women’s lived realities still ignored by political circles

4-7-2017

Every passing day brings news of a suicide by a migrant domestic worker or the discovery of a prostitution and trafficking ring, amidst complete official political indifference, especially from the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, to deal with these problems, preferring to focus on elections. In this respect, and during a seminar organized within the framework of the International Center for Human Sciences in Byblos which read, ‘feminist accountability in issues of human rights’, Ogassapian seemed preoccupied with the next parliamentary elections. He urged the Lebanese people to practice accountability and not cast their votes for electoral lists if women candidates are not included so as not to reinforce the patriarchal society, he said, even if the balloter had to abstain from backing his party’s list. On another vein, a patrol of the South and Regional Directorate of State Security arrested a Palestinian national, 20 years, who confessed during interrogation, that he, with a Lebanese partner, have lured girls into prostitution. The suspects were referred to competent judiciary for further investigation. In a related vein, an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker (36 years) died Thursday threw herself from the sixth floor at a building in Tyre, after her employer returned her to the recruitment agency. The Lebanese Red Cross arrived to collect her body while security forces started an investigation into the death. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 2, 4, 2017)

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Iffat Idriss, portray of an environmental activist

4-7-2017

In its issue of June 21, L’Orient Le Jour, portrayed the social and environmental accomplishments of Iffat Idriss, founder and chairperson, since 1997, of Cedars for Care and the Big Blue Association initiatives. To note, the work of said associations is based on cleaning, rehabilitation and restoration of Lebanon’s coastline and the protection of marine turtles, in collaboration with concerned environmental societies. Speaking to L’Orient Le Jour, Idriss stressed that despite persistent challenges with the local authorities, she never retreated, pointing one bold activity she keeps with other concerned activists is the beach clean-up event on Environment Day on the second week of May of each year, while stressing that after 20 years of efforts results are positive. She also mentioned her founding of a turtle clinic on Ramlet el Baida run by experts. (L’Orient Le Jour, June 21, 2017)

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New prostitution ring and trafficking involving Syrian women busted in Junieh

3-7-2017

Only one week from the discovery of a prostitution network in Zahleh, the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced that the Anti-Human Trafficking and Morals Protection Bureau at the Judiciary Police Unit has information on a man facilitating prostitution for a number of girls inside one of Junyeh hotels, north of the capital. Following surveillance, on 2/7/2017, a squad of the above Unit arrested the suspect identified as B.A, Lebanese, born in 1989 and known as Batrusa after a successful raid on his house in Halat, Jbeil, the ISF statement said. The Unit also busted the hotel in Junyeh and arrested four women, all Syrian nationals, working for Batrusa who is wanted on a number of human trafficking charges. Investigation is underway under competent judiciary. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 3, 2017)

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Arsal women develop the ‘kilim’ rugs to sell in the capital

3-7-2017

L’Orient Le Jour featured today the ‘kilim’ wool or cotton rug weaving by the women of Arsal in Beqaa. In this respect, the newspaper brought to light ‘Oumnia’ Boutique in Downtown’s Saifi district, a project founded in February 2006 by Nivine Maktabi in cooperation with USAID. The store embraces a carpet workshop currently run by women from Arsal who hand weave decorative carpets with a story or a message. These women, the newspaper wrote, have inherited the craft from their grandmothers who used to knit kilim to embellish the interior of their houses. Today, thanks to ‘Oumnia’ venture, rural women of Arsal are selling their produce for financial returns. Makatabi described to L’Orient Le Jour reporter this intricate and demanding craftsmanship which, she said, “requires patience, precision and passion.” The kilim rug is normally dark colored, but nowadays, women are learning to use and intertwine bright colors into the designs she draws, Nivine boasted. The undertaking, she noted, contributes largely to economically empowering the women of Arsal, who she has long sought to work with. (L’Orient Le Jour, July 3, 2017)

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How Islam, Christianity view violence against women

3-7-2017

The International Center for Human Sciences (CISH) in Byblos organized yesterday a dialogue and debate session on the ‘viewpoint of Islam and Christianity on violence against women and the solutions they offer’, in the presence of Mufti of Tripoli and the North, Dr. Malek Chaar, Patriarchal Aide, Father Joseph Nafaa and a crowd of dignitaries. On the occasion, Chaar portrayed the different types of persecution and violence women have borne throughout the ages. Female infanticide, the pessimistic outlook to the birth of girls, and forcing a woman to marry a total stranger, (all common in Arab culture) were a few examples, the Mufti stated. He described this oppressive mindset as “ugly and a stigma in the history of the Arab nation,” and cited verses from the Koran to demonstrate that Islam has tried to address these issues. He said Islam has given the woman the right to self-determination and independence, stressing her equal partnership with man in bringing up a family and in claiming responsibility. For his part, Bishop Nafaa mentioned that the abuse of women is rooted in the way women’s dignity and status are perceived compared to men. Many civilizations, he maintained, have placed women in a lower position and considered them as subordinates to men, who are “more apt to be in charge in family matters and in society in general.” In conclusion, Nafaa advised the Bible should be understood from its cultural perspective, noting "that there is a real misunderstanding of religious texts and that supporters of women’s exploitation have based their rhetoric on some texts to justify them and give them divine immunity,” as he put it. )Al Diyar, July 3, 2017)

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Nayla Audi’s sweets and ice cream in Lebanon and the US

30-6-2017

In a special feature today, L’Orient Le Jour highlighted a venture by Nayla Audi, who runs the Oslo and MILK ice cream and cakes parlors in Lebanon and the United States. Despite her infatuation with the world of gastronomy, she studied political science at the American University of Beirut, Nayla told L’Orient Le Jour reporter. From there, she moved to the US where she worked in the business of confectionaries, Nayla went on to say. In 1997, she returned to her homeland to kick off her first sweets shop, Oslo, in Ashrafieh’s neighborhood of Mar Mkhail, investing nearly USD 25 thousand and collaborating with only one assistant, Audi stated. Today, she boasted, her shop employs 22 workers and offers a wide assortment of desserts including 80 ice cream flavors and some 300 sweet courses. To mention, in 2011, Audi expanded the shop that now extends over 600 square meters, and opened a branch in Los Angeles. In 2017, she launched a new branch in Verdun, Beirut. MILK, on the other hand, founded in LA in 2007, employs 32 persons catering almost the same Oslo ice cream brands, and an additional branch was founded also in California in 2012. (L’Orient Le Jour, June 22, 2017)

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NCLW reports on its women’s strategy

30-6-2017

The president of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), Claudine Aoun Roukuz, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) representative, Asma Qurdahi, launched yesterday the third annual report for the implementation of the National Strategy for Women in Lebanon, in the presence of minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, and a group of civil society associations, the media, universities and concerned parties. Roukuz maintained that the report highlights national efforts in 2015 to realize the National Strategic Objectives for Women in Lebanon 2011-2021, which focus on promoting a society based on the principles of justice, impartiality and equality among men and women. Roukuz also announced commitment to the 12 strategic goals as part of a solid faith in the continuity of the public sector and alteration or rotation of authorities. “We shall work on developing the strategy in line with our aspirations and goals to reach complete gender equality in our Lebanese society,” Roukuz said. Equality can only be achieved by empowering women to play their role in building society and national economy and eradicating all legal, social and structural barriers that prevent their participation and evolution across all sectors and spheres of life, Roukuz added. (Al Diyar, June 30, 2017)

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Eliane Saftali murder updates

30-6-2017

The Military Court of Cassation yesterday adjourned to September 19 the hearing in the case of killing of Eliane Saftali by escapee Hassan Hamiyeh after listening for more than three hours to conflicting testimonies of four witnesses. The next session will be devoted to people who were present outside the nightclub on the night of the murder. In the latest updates, the victim’s  mother, Grace Saftali, revealed that Mohamad Safwan, when summoned as a witness in the investigation procedure, informed her that Hassan got edgy after being banned from entering the pub. He tried to calm him down after firing the first bullet which killed Eliane, warning him, “you killed her”, Safwan told the mother. Then, when he grabbed the culprit’s hand trying to sway him, the assailant fired in the air and hit the sign of the nightclub with two bullets, according to the victim’s mother. The latter also spoke of negotiations Hamiyeh’s family tried to conduct with her family through a third party, mentioning a blank cheque, saying the offer was turned down. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 30, 2017)

Previous related news: 
Trial of Eliane Saftali adjourned
Court ruling for re-trial of accused in the murder of Eliane Saftali
 

 

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