Friday , 18 August 2023
Background and Context
In July 2023, 37 Lebanese Members of Parliament (MPs) took to their social media platforms to share a total of 69 statements addressing human rights issues.
Several statements made by MPs in July have not been included in the data analyzed for this report. These omitted statements diverged from the focus on human rights and encompassed topics such as responses to the European Parliament’s resolution on Lebanon. This resolution expressed, among other things, concerns over the rise in anti-refugee rhetoric by Lebanese politicians. The MPs’ reactions to this resolution were notably disapproving. Furthermore, MPs commented on the tragic killing of two young men in Bcharre; however, these remarks have not been incorporated into this report as they did not overtly indicate direct endorsement of human rights.
Methodology
Throughout the month of July 2023, Lebanese MPs issued a collective total of 69 statements on both Twitter and Facebook, using their individual accounts. The monitoring spanned from July 1 to 31, 2023.
These statements have been categorized into distinct themes, casting light on the following subjects:
Data Display
During the data collection process, it is essential to recognize that the information provided might not be exhaustive. However, despite inherent limitations, the gathered data allows us to construct hypotheses regarding the discourse surrounding human rights matters. This analysis brings a specific focus on journalists’ rights and freedom of speech, within the public political discourse during July 2023.
Figure 1. Distribution of data across Members of Parliament
Figure 2. Distribution of data across political parties and groups
Figure 3. Distribution of data based on group type
Figure 4. Distribution of data across theme of statement
*FoE: Freedom of Expression
Table 1. Distribution of data across theme of statement and group name
Analysis
In July 2023, a remarkable surge in the endorsement of journalists' rights was evident across various political factions. Within this context, a total of 29 statements were collected under this thematic umbrella. Among these:
Similarly, an unprecedented wave of support for children's rights came to the forefront. This response was prompted by two cases of newborn abandonment and a distressing incident of child abuse within a nursery, which garnered attention through disseminated videos.
When comparing the total count of statements from each political group, the following table illuminates those who were the most vocal during the course of July 2023.
Table 2. Ranking based on absolute numbers - five political groups with highest numbers of statements
Table 3. Ranking based on relative numbers - from the political group with the highest percentage of members who made statements to the one with the lowest percentage
Table 4. Top 10 Ranking of MPs who shared most statements from June 2022 till April 2023
During July 2023, MP Mark Daou displayed the most prolific engagement, delivering a total of five statements.
When examining the cumulative count of statements shared from June 1, 2022, a consistent pattern emerged, with MPs Mark Daou, Halimé Kaakour, and Ibrahim Mneimneh securing their positions as the leading three MPs. This standing has remained unchanged since January 2023.
The consistency of MPs’ statements is an important factor to consider. MP Daou has demonstrated a steady dedication by consistently addressing human rights matters in 12 out of the 14 months under observation. Similarly, MP Mneimneh and MP Kaakour have contributed their perspectives through statements in ten out of these 14 months.