The media watchdog organization Reporters
Without Borders on Friday condemned the Lebanese radical Shiite group Hezbollah
for attacking news media owned by a family opposed to it.
"Reporters Without Borders condemns Hezbollah's armed attacks and threats
against four news media owned by the family of Saad Hariri, the head of Future
Movement, the anti-Syrian majority party in the Lebanese parliament," the
Paris-based group said in a press statement.
All four media - the terrestrial and satellite TV station Future TV, satellite
TV news channel Future News, the daily Al-Mustakbal and Radio Orient - were
forced to stop operating on Friday, Reporters Without Borders said.
The actions against the media included a rocket attack on Al- Mustakbal's
headquarters and threats by gunmen against the other media to begin shooting if
they did not stop broadcasting.
"Lebanon is undergoing a serious political crisis and the situation is
very disturbing," the press freedom organization said. "We hope the
gagging of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority's news media is not a
harbinger of even greater violence."
At least 13 people were reported killed in the fighting between anti-Syrian
forces and Hezbollah, which began on Thursday, dpa
reported.
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