June 8, 2026
A Lebanese military court has sentenced two anti-Hezbollah activists to fifteen years in prison in absentia. Ahmed Yassine and Joumana Gebara, both living outside Lebanon, were charged with “collaborating with Israel and inciting it to continue its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon” by the military tribunal in a trial that began in November 2024.
Mr. Yassine is a university professor in Paris who provides political commentary on his YouTube channel. He echoes the sentiments of millions of Lebanese who want Hezbollah defeated and removed as a political force in Lebanon.
It is Hezbollah who incited Israel to attack by attacking Israel. Lebanon has been used by the terror group as a staging ground for indiscriminate rocket attacks into Israel for decades and has gradually infiltrated the Lebanese government and military.
“This is an incredible ruling,” said AMCD co-chair, Tom Harb. “The fact that a Lebanese military court is carrying out the will of Hezbollah to punish their enemies is a gross miscarriage of justice.”
“We call on the American administration to slap sanctions on these judges individually to send the message that the US stands for freedom of speech and against this type of targeted persecution of ex-pat dissidents,” added AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. “The Lebanese people have lived under the gradually tightening grip of Hezbollah for decades. Who will speak for them but those in the Lebanese diaspora who are brave enough to speak out. We also call on the Parisien authorities to protect Mr. Yassine.”
Though the whereabouts of Ms. Gebara is not known, AMCD call for her protection as well.
Hezbollah is a shi’ite terrorist organization acting as a proxy for Iran in Lebanon. It has long been understood that Hezbollah takes orders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and now it seems those orders extend all the way into Lebanese military courts, which should have no jurisdiction over Lebanese civilians living abroad.
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy condemns these rulings and calls for sanctions against the judges who made them.
2 responses to “AMCD Calls for Sanctions Against Lebanese Judges”
The judiciary in Lebanon remains one of the most powerful elements of the deep state that was established in 29 years of Syrian occupation and then 19 years of Hezbollah’s hegemony .
Some judges dispensed injustices by arresting political opponents and by covering the corrupted actors.
They should be severely sanctioned.
excellent initiatives. corrupted judges must be subject to sanctions and lose their positions as quickly as possible. we need a clean judiciary system as well as clean officers in charge of the security and execution of the judges. please act as quick as possible. lebanese people are in a horrible situation. thank you for your help.