Dozens of protesters called for the freedom of Lebanese activist Kinda Al Khatib outside Beirut’s Military Court on Monday, shortly before a judge charged her with collaborating with Lebanon’s long-time antagonist, Israel.
Several members of her family told The National they believed that Ms Al Khatib was arrested because she was a vocal critic of Lebanese party Hezbollah and its ally, President Michel Aoun, on Twitter, where she has about 30,000 followers.
“In Lebanon, there is oppression against freedom and freedom of expression,” said one of her sisters, Mariam Al Khatib. “She was threatened on Twitter before her arrest. People told her to shut up.”
Lebanese authorities accused Ms Al Khatib of illegally crossing into Israel during a visit to Jordan earlier this year, according to her family, who denied that she had left the capital, Amman.
“She visited Jordan as a tourist in early 2020 and they took this as a pretext to say that she collaborated with the Zionist enemy,” said Mariam Al Khatib.
Lebanon and Israel are in a state of war and each country bans its citizens from visiting the other.
On Monday, the state-run National News Agency said that government commissioner to the military court judge Fadi Akiki charged Kinda Al Khatib with visiting Israel and “dealing with spies of the Israeli enemy”.
Judge Akiki referred her case to military investigative judge Fadi Sawan and asked him to interrogate her and issue an arrest warrant.
The military court was not available for comment.
Under heavy security surveillance, including riot police, protesters marched past the court, chanting “revolution” and holding banners asking for the release of Ms Al Khatib.
The 23-year old is a masters’ student in English and translation at the Lebanese University in Beirut. She also works as an English teacher in a private institute.
The family said Ms Al Khatib was arrested at 6.30am on Thursday with her brother Bandar, who was also accused of collaborating with Israel, in the family house near the town of Halba, in the northern region of Akkar.
Bandar Al Khatib, a retired soldier who said he was not active on social media, was released two days later.
“That is the paradox,” said sister Mariam. “They let him go and kept her because she is an activist.”
The family has not been allowed to contact Ms Al Khatib since her arrest.
“We said we didn’t leave [Amman], and they said ‘no, you went to the Dead Sea [on the Israeli border]’. They asked me if I left her alone sometimes, I said I only left her in malls, and they said ‘that’s when she left’” for Israel, said Mr Al Khatib.
The brother and sister were also asked if they financed anti-government protests, which started last October because of economic grievances. The region of Akkar, one of the most disenfranchised in Lebanon, has become a hotspot for the demonstrations.
“They asked us if we received money to finance the [anti-government] movement,” said Mr Al Khatib. “We said we took no money for anything.”
The family strongly agreed with the protests, he said.
“We all support the movement. We support the idea that there should be no weapons outside those of the army,” he said, in reference to Hezbollah’s weapons.
The Iran-backed group is the only Lebanese party that did not disarm after the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990 in the name of the fight against Israel, against which it fought a month-long war in 2006.
Supporters of Ms Al Khatib said they believed that her case was similar to that of actor Ziad Itani, who was released in 2018 after being cleared of charges of collaborating with Israel.
Itani spent about four months in prison and told human rights organisations that he was tortured.
“We are afraid that Kinda will be Ziad Itani number two,” said Mr Al Khatib.
Neither he nor his sister were physically harmed during their detention, he said.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The view from The National
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
