Lebanon’s Judges Announce Open Strike to Reject ‘Oppression, Humiliation’

Lebanese police stand outside the Justice Palace in Beirut. Photo: Reuters
Lebanese police stand outside the Justice Palace in Beirut. Photo: Reuters
TT
20

Lebanon’s Judges Announce Open Strike to Reject ‘Oppression, Humiliation’

Lebanese police stand outside the Justice Palace in Beirut. Photo: Reuters
Lebanese police stand outside the Justice Palace in Beirut. Photo: Reuters

Judges announced an open strike to denounce their deteriorating financial and social conditions and reject “oppression and humiliation” faced by the Lebanon’s Judiciary.

Senior judges have joined the strike, including members of the Supreme Judicial Council, others in the Audit Bureau and the State Shura Council.

In comments, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, asserted that the judiciary would not abandon its responsibilities and would remain the main pillar of state building.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, a judge, who helped organize the strike, said that the judiciary was facing “a harsh war, starting with political interference.”

“It is no longer acceptable to undermine the judiciary and the dignity of judges,” he said.

In addition to the severe financial conditions faced by the judges as a result of the devaluation of the national currency and the sharp deterioration of the purchasing power, the palaces of justice are plunged into darkness due to long hours of power cuts, in addition to water shortages and the failure to clean offices and courts.

“Officials must understand that the judiciary is an authority parallel to the legislative and executive powers, and not just an administration and employees,” the judge said, adding that no country could revive without an independent judiciary free from political pressure and interference.

Abboud, for his part, stressed that the judges were raising righteous and justified demands, denouncing “the tragic conditions and circumstances that the judicial body is experiencing at all levels.”

He noted, however, that the Judicial Council would assume its responsibilities and work to address all the problems facing judges, within the institutional framework, emphasizing that the judiciary would remain “the main pillar in the structure of the state.”



Tunisia Activists Launch Gaza-bound Convoy in 'Symbolic Act'

 Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)
Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)
TT
20

Tunisia Activists Launch Gaza-bound Convoy in 'Symbolic Act'

 Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)
Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)

Hundreds of people, mainly Tunisians, launched on Monday a land convoy bound for Gaza, seeking to "break the siege" on the Palestinian territory, activists said.

Organizers said the nine-bus convoy was not bringing aid into Gaza, but rather aimed at carrying out a "symbolic act" by breaking the blockade on the territory described by the United Nations as "the hungriest place on Earth".

The "Soumoud" convoy, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, includes doctors and aims to arrive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, "by the end of the week", activist Jawaher Channa told AFP.

It is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits, she added.

"We are about a thousand people, and we will have more join us along the way," said Channa, spokeswoman of the Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, the group organizing the caravan.

"Egypt has not yet given us permission to cross its borders, but we will see what happens when we get there," she said.

Channa said the convoy was not set to face issues crossing Libya, "whose people have historically supported the Palestinian cause", despite recent deadly clashes in the country that remains divided between two governments.

Algerian, Mauritanian, Moroccan and Libyan activists were also among the group, which is set to travel along the Tunisian and Libyan coasts, before continuing on to Rafah through Egypt.

After 21 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies.

On June 1, the Madleen aid boat, boarded by activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and European parliament member Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan, set sail for Gaza from Italy.

But on Monday morning Israel intercepted it, preventing it from reaching the Palestinian territory.

The UN has warned that the Palestinian territory's entire population is at risk of famine.