Lebanese army legally pursues MP

Lebanon's justice ministry on Thursday reported that it received a request from the defence ministry to lift the immunity for Future bloc MP Mouin Merhebi. The parliament’s general secretariat received a written request from Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi calling for lifting Merhebi’s parliamentary immunity “following a lawsuit filed against him for attacking the Lebanese army.” Meanwhile, March 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh said in a statement on Thursday that Qortbawi’s move “was unconstitutional.” “Article 39 of the constitution states that it is not allowed to file a lawsuit against any member of parliament as a consequence of views and opinions he might have voiced during his time in office.” The lawmaker added that the justice minister “should have prosecuted those tempering with the country’s security instead of punishing those who represent the people on views they might have held.” In July, the army issued a statement to clarify declarations made by Merhebi in which he had said that Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji was “an employee and he must perform his duties. He is using the [military] institution to attain the presidency.” It later said that it “took measures to legally pursue” the MP for “attacking the army and fabricating stories about it and its leadership.” Merhebi said in a statement on Lebanese television channel LBC saying: "We are present and ready for accountability, we hope it can reach everybody from the top of the pyramid to its base."