Lebanese journalist sues German broadcaster DW over 'unfair' dismissal for anti-Israel posts
Lebanese journalist sues German broadcaster DW over 'unfair' dismissal for anti-Israel posts
Lebanese journalist Bassel Al-Aridi filed a lawsuit against a German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, who dismissed him and four others on accusations of anti-Semitism.
2 min read
German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle is being sued by a former Lebanese employee [Getty]
Lebanese Journalist Bassel Al-Aridi filed a lawsuit against German public broadcasterÌý after he and four other Arab journalists were fired after social media posts criticising Israel were uncovered.
The state broadcaster suspended the five Arabic service employees after accusations of anti-SemitismÌý-Ìýbut critics haveÌýthe channel of anti-Arab bias in handling the matter.
Al-Aridi filed a complaint to Beirut's Labor Arbitration Council, claiming DW acted in violation of Article 50 of Lebanon's labour law, according to Legal Agenda.
He said that he was treated unfairly and will demand compensation from DW.
"I went through this process because I'm quite confident that what happened [to] me is totally unfair," Al-Aridi told L’Orient Today.
"I can't be accused [of] anti-Semitism by any [means] or way. There is a huge difference between anti-Semitism and being against Israel."
Al-Aridi, along with his colleagues Murhaf Mahmoud, Maram Salem, Farah Maraqa, and Dawood Ibrahim, were fired on 7 FebruaryÌýafter an inÌýthe German press claimedÌýDW journalists shared anti-Semitic remarks on their social media accounts.
DWÌýÌýthe newsÌýof the lawsuitÌýand had earlier in the day announced that it had commissioned an "independent external investigation" into the allegations.
The broadcaster's ownÌýinvestigation into the incident wasÌý"biased, flawed and dangerous", theÌýEuro-Med Human Rights Monitor said last month.
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