Lebanon: Renowned Kuwaiti TV Host Fayer Al-Saeed Permanently Barred From Entry to Lebanon
The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on General Security to stop denying entry to critical journalists and lift the ban immediately
Location: Lebanon, Beirut
Date: June 7, 2023
Popular Kuwaiti TV host Fayer Al-Saeed was denied entry into Lebanon, and informed by officials that she is permanently barred from the country. Al-Saeed has criticized Hezbollah in the past and believes her entry ban is “purely political”. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the decision to ban Al-Saeed and calls on Lebanese General Security to immediately reverse this unjust barring.
“I want to ask those who prevented me from entering Lebanon: Can they prevent my voice from reaching the Lebanese people?” says Al-Saeed.
Kuwaiti journalist Fajer Al-Saeed was denied entry to Lebanon on June 7 at the General Security checkpoint in Beirut airport over a "name similarity issue." Border guards detained the journalist and informed her a permanent deportation order was issued against her, effectively banning her from entering the country.
Lebanon’s General Security rejected a request from Kuwaiti Embassy officials to allow her to spend the night before leaving on the first flight to Kuwait. Instead, she spent the night at the airport and was deported the following morning.
“I want to ask those who prevented me from entering Lebanon: Can they prevent my voice from reaching the Lebanese people?”
Addressing Al-Saeed’s ban, the head of the Lebanese Editor’s Press Syndicate said “We oppose the prevention of any journalist or media professional from carrying out their professional duties.”
Political parties, the Lebanese Forces and the Socialist Party have also condemned the decision to bar Al-Saeed from the country.
Fajer Al-Saeed, a screenwriter and TV host with over 700,000 Instagram followers, is well-known in Lebanon. She was traveling to Beirut to shoot an episode for the “We Want the Truth” program on the Sawt Beirut International e-platform.
The reporter is known for her views against Hezbollah and in favor of normalization of relations with Israel.
“I have not committed any crimes. These are my political opinions, and perhaps some individuals have become sensitive to them and cannot tolerate differing viewpoints,” said Al-Saeed.
Hezbollah's control over the Lebanese state and its institutions, along with the political system in Lebanon, allows actors to exert power without being accountable for their actions.
Hezbollah's influence extends to the state security apparatus, where they have successfully lobbied for their preferred candidates to be appointed to key positions. Since 2011, the General
Security has been under de facto Hezbollah oversight with General Abbas Ibrahim at the helm.
The decision to ban Fayer Al-Saeed from entry to Lebanon is a blatantly political decision with no merit. The journalist has spoken openly about her views on Hezbollah and is being punished as a result. CFWIJ supports journalist Al-Saeed for her meaningful work and the unprecedented challenge she is facing for not being able to do her work. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on Lebanese General Security to immediately rescind its ban and allow Al-Saeed to enter the country.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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