Is the Lebanese Government Complicit In The Murders of Kassir & Tueni?

Maria Salazer Ferro, coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists:

“By not investigating murders of journalists, authorities are encouraging the murders of journalists. They are telling perpetrators: ‘Go ahead, shut them up because we don’t care.’ [Governments] are basically encouraging silencing the press by not investigating […] That can be applied to Lebanon. Lack of investigation is as grave as encouraging violence against journalists and if you don’t investigate these killings you are perpetuating this idea that the press can be silenced with violence and murder”

In general, her point is valid. But it simply doesn’t apply to Lebanon. It is unfair to accuse Hariri’s government of complicity because it has insisted on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and its very thorough investigation of ALL the political murders that took place after 2005, including those of journalists like Samir Kassir and Gebran Tueni.

I would even say that there is nothing more the government could have done to discourage similar assassinations in the future (and so far, fingers crossed, this has worked)