Hezbollah-affiliated members have arrested two journalists in Lebanon while they were covering a report on the country’s fuel crisis on Monday June 28th.
The British journalist Matthew Kynaston and German freelance reporter Stella Männer were reporting on the fuel crisis in Lebanon at the gas station on Airport Road when men who introduced themselves as agents of Hezbollah took them into custody.
British and German journalists have been kidnapped in Lebanon by #Hizbollah
— Asaad Hanna (@AsaadHannaa) June 28, 2021
The British journalist Matthew Kynaston and German freelance reporter Stella Männer were kidnapped in Lebanon pic.twitter.com/HnhDoumEFr
According to NOW Lebanon, NOW journalist Kynaston was released in the evening after they were handed over to the General Directorate of General Security. Matthew also assured he and the freelance journalist Männer weren’t harmed.
Before they were arrested for reporting on the fuel crisis in Lebanon, NOW journalist Kynaston was able to send a voice message to the editor ‘They are not letting us leave’; he also said Hezbollah’s men asked to take his passport and his contact information.
Really concerning to hear that journalists Matthew Kynaston and Stella Männer have been detained by Hezbollah today while reporting on Lebanon's fuel crisis. I hope they will be immediately released.https://t.co/raLcL8lkWM
— Rohan Talbot (@rohantalbot) June 28, 2021
Dr. Martin Longden, the Chargé d'Affaires of the British embassy in Beirut, shared a tweet expressing his refusal of the detention of the British journalist, saying he contacted the Lebanese authorities who assured that Matthew Kynaston is under their custody.
He also stressed: “This remains a serious and troubling incident: journalists should not be impeded from carrying out their legitimate functions - a free press is critical to democracy in Lebanon.”
I have been in touch personally with the Lebanese authorities since learning of the incident this afternoon. I understand Mr. Kynaston is now in their care, and I am grateful for their assistance. 1/2
— Martin Longden (@MlongdenUK) June 28, 2021
Social media users have denounced the arrest of journalists. However, they added that it is not the first act of its kind as many other journalists were arrested previously by Hezbollah including Josh Wood and Julien Beau in 2013.
What happened to @MattKynaston & @stella_maenner today is not new. It happened to @JWoodJourno & @julienbeau123 in 2013, @manibenchelah in 2014 (& others). Once again, not holding to account perpetrators of violations allows them to repeat their violations. @manal_a_samad
— Ayman Mhanna (@AymanMhanna) June 28, 2021
After being released from Hezbollah’s custody, “Home and Happy” Mathew posted and thanked all the people who ‘worked tirelessly’ to release him and Stella Männer.
Matt Kynaston and Stella Männer were arrested at around 3 PM and released 6 hours later after being taken to the General Security headquarter to have their papers checked.
Reporters Matt Kynaston and Stella Männer have been released after being handed over to authorities following a six-hour detention by Hezbollah for attempting to report from the airport road. SKEyes criticized security forces for not investigating those who detained the reporters
— L'Orient Today (@lorienttoday) June 28, 2021
Lebanon has been under a huge fuel crisis since late 2019, the economic situation in fact deteriorated in Lebanon amid political deadlock and the country’s long delay in forming a new government.
Protests erupted in several cities in Lebanon including Tripoli and Sidon, where the Lebanese army teams were deployed to ban demonstrators, who came to streets to denounce the economic situation, fuel shortage and electricity cut off.
