Lebanese Activists Fear Skype Surveillance
Lebanese activists recently raised concerns online after an article published in the daily newspaper, An-Nahar, revealed the country’s changing telephone surveillance policies. In an interview with a representative from the committee responsible for regulating telephone surveillance, the newspaper reported that, “Monitoring Skype is illegal except in the case of persons considered to be dangerous or part of a conspiracy.”
Cyber-activist Imad Bazzi told Movements.org that monitoring phone calls under the broad heading of “conspiracy concerns” provides the committee with innumerable justifications to monitor Skype calls. He continued, “The article showed that the security forces have the ability to tape our Skype conversations legally, and we know that they would not follow the specifics of the law and that they will monitor anyone, especially Lebanese activists and Syrian activists who are based in Lebanon.”
Of greater importance to Bazzi and fellow activists are the implications of this decree vis-à-vis Lebanon’s fractured security apparatus. In the sectarian country, the guards of the Parliament are supporters of Parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, who is also the head of the mostly Shia, pro-Iran Amal movement. The Information Intelligence apparatus, a segment of the Ministry of Interior, essentially acts as a security branch for the movement headed by Saad Hariri, leader of the Sunni-dominated March 14th Alliance. Imad believes that all of these bodies can tape citizens’ calls and communications. He also noted that this legislation allows them to keep a close eye on one another as they simultaneously vie to uphold their respective power.
Bazzi pointed out the difficulties in countering this surveillance. He said, “We don’t know what kind of equipment they have. We believe some groups get their equipment from Iran while others [get it] from the U.S.”
Lebanon is known to be one of the Arab countries with the most freedoms. However, the last few years have witnessed a deteriorating human rights record on the part of the state, especially after the current government allied itself with Hezbollah. Activists who fled Syria for Lebanon have been kidnapped by Hezbollah, or other forces who would surrender them to Syria. The whereabouts for some prominent activists, like Yassin and Mustafa al Sahan, remain unknown after several months of disappearance.
