Lebanon: Dispute Rages Between Judges, Justice Minister

File Photo of Lebanese Justice Minister Selim Jreissati/NNA
File Photo of Lebanese Justice Minister Selim Jreissati/NNA
TT
20

Lebanon: Dispute Rages Between Judges, Justice Minister

File Photo of Lebanese Justice Minister Selim Jreissati/NNA
File Photo of Lebanese Justice Minister Selim Jreissati/NNA

A dispute between Lebanon’s judiciary and Justice Minister Selim Jreissati reached unprecedented levels after a number of judges began a walkout this week to protest a possible reduction in salaries and benefits.

The differences between the judges and Jreissati worsened when the minister sent a memo asking the Judicial Council to warn judges from the repercussions of their decision.

“The decision of some judges to interrupt their works holds several meanings, mainly the disruption of relations between the Lebanese Judiciary and the Higher Judicial Council,” Jreissati wrote in his letter.

His position drove a quick response from the Council, which announced that a Justice Minister does not have the right to send memos to Judges.

A copy of the Council’s statement received by Asharq Al-Awsat said: “Based on the sovereignty of the judicial authority, the higher Judicial Council is not considered an executive body of the Justice Minister’s decisions.”

The statement added that currently, judges feel threatened, not only at the financial level, but also at the level of their personal pride.

Judicial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that the minister did not have the authority to dominate the judiciary in Lebanon.

“The minister’s last memo to the Higher Judicial Council enraged judges,” the sources said, adding that the problem is not between the Council and judges, but between the Judiciary and the political authority.

“We absolutely reject that a Justice Minister addresses the judicial authority by giving orders and recommendations,” the sources said.

Last Monday, Lebanon's judges held a two-day strike in protest of a decision to decrease the budget of the Justice Ministry and therefore, limit their benefits and dry out sources of the solidarity fund, which provides judges a benefit of less than one month’s salary every three months, in addition to family medical and education benefits.



Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
TT
20

Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)

The Syrian Ministry of Defense has begun reorganizing military affairs in the southern province of Daraa, days after the Eighth Brigade — a former opposition group integrated into the army — surrendered its weapons to government forces.

The move comes as part of Damascus’s efforts to tighten its grip over southern Syria, particularly in areas previously outside its full control.

Separately, the Interior Ministry said it had seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a vehicle and arrested the driver as he attempted to smuggle the arms into the neighboring province of Sweida.

Daraa police said late on Sunday they discovered another stockpile of weapons concealed under piles of hay in a truck in the eastern town of al-Sahwah.

Authorities seized a significant weapons cache, including Katyusha artillery shells, anti-tank Malutka missiles, heavy machine guns, and ammunition, in a smuggling attempt from Damascus to Sweida.

The haul was intercepted by security forces, with images released by the General Security Directorate showing the captured items.

The vehicle, which was stopped by security patrols, was reportedly en route from the Syrian capital, Damascus, to Sweida when the arms were discovered. Authorities transported the confiscated weapons to the security center in the town of Izraa for further investigation.

Reports from Daraa have varied, with some claiming the shipment was intended for the group of Ahmad al-‘Awda, leader of the Eighth Brigade, based in Busra al-Sham in southern Daraa. Others suggest the weapons were meant for his affiliates and were to be sent later to Sweida.

There are also concerns that some members of the Eighth Brigade, who had previously retained their weapons after the group's dissolution announcement, may use the arms to stir unrest in the region.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense began accepting recruitment applications on Monday from residents of the eastern Daraa countryside. The registration process is taking place at one of the ministry’s offices west of Busra al-Sham.

Local sources in Daraa reported that the recruitment campaign will extend to other villages and towns in both central and western Daraa in the coming days. A training course for new recruits is expected to begin within two weeks.

The recruitment drive follows a meeting held on Sunday in Busra al-Sham, which included Col. Binyan al-Hariri, commander of the 40th Division, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Defense and former leaders from the area.

The meeting aimed to organize military affairs and register both new and former personnel into the Ministry of Defense.

According to local reports, the upcoming training will include new recruits from Busra al-Sham and its surrounding areas.