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Without accounting and Unpunished
The fourth anniversary of the assassination of Samir Kassir, and the killers are still free
Cairo in June 1, 2009
The signatory Human Rights Organizations express their deep concern about the impunity of the perpetrators of the assassination of Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir, despite that four years has been passed on the tragic incident.
On the morning of Tuesday, June 2, 2005, Kassir was in a short visit to the headquarter of "Annahar", his newspaper, in Beirut. As usual, he took his car that had been parked down the building where he used to live in the neighborhood of Ashrafieh. As soon as, he sat in the driver's seat, a bomb that had been fixed under the seat exploded, leading to his death immediately.
Aside from being a senior journalist, Kassir who is born in 1960, was a prominent intellectual, who earned a degree in 1984 in political philosophy from the University of Sorbonne in Paris. In 1990 he got a doctorate in modern history from the same university. He taught political science at St. Joseph University in Beirut. His writings had been published in several newspapers including the Lebanese newspaper Annahar and international newspaper "Alhayat" along with the French "Le Monde diplomatique". He also contributed to the founding of the Democratic Left Movement in Lebanon in 2004.
The signatory organizations said today; "We are concerned by the growing phenomenon of impunity in Lebanon. Till now the killers who had executed many assassinations which claimed the lives of journalists and politicians had not been found, despite the passage of years on the beginning of the investigations."
Kassir had been known for his sharp criticism of the Syrian presence in Lebanon and his combating the continuity of this presence. He also called to extend Lebanese sovereignty over all the Lebanese territories, and increased his harsh criticism after the famous incident of the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister in 2004.
It was remarkable that the year 2005 is a distinction in targeting journalists opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon, where the killers have not only disposed of Kassir, but also assassinated Gebran Tueni, managing editor of Annahar, bombing his car in December 12, 2005. They also targeted the anchorwoman May Chidiac of the Lebanese Foundation. Chidiac was targeted by a failed assassination trial in September 2005, after which she lost one arm and a leg because of a bomb under the driver's seat of her car. In the same context, George Hawi, the former Secretary General of the Lebanese Communist Party, was assassinated in a car bombing, in June 21, 2005, 3 weeks after the assassination of Kassir.
The Signatory organizations added; "We fear that recent developments of the international relations, which is witnessing a change in the policies of the United States of America and Europe toward the dialogue with some countries in the region, might affect the course of the investigation and its results. Any negotiations or political transactions should never lead to any further waste of time or more obstruction of justice. Therefore, we call upon the responsible officials for the investigation of the assassinations in Lebanon to accomplish their tasks quickly; so the murderers do not enjoy additional years of liberty without accounting and without punishment."
In the view of the signatory organizations, the Lebanese journalists will have to cope with additional years of fear and suffering threats to their lives, till the arrest of the perpetrators who shed the blood of Kassir and his companions, and bringing them before independent judiciary.
Signatory organizations
- The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
- Samir Kassir Eyes (SKeyes media)
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
- Human Rights First Society in Saudi Arabia
- Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights
- Elhak Center for Democracy and Human Rights
- The Dialogue Society for Development and Human Rights
- Institution of Freedom of Thought and Expression
- The Arabic Program for Human Rights Activists
- Journalists Without Rights
- Group for Human Rights Legal Aid
- Civil Observatory for Human Rights
- The Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement
- Egyptian Center for Human Rights
- The Egyptian Center for Housing Rights
- Egyptian Center for Development and Human Rights
- Union Center for Development and Human Rights
- National Center for Human Rights
- Women's Group for Human Rights
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