News analysis by Jad Arabi, Staff Writer

April 1st, 2020

For the past month all Lebanese citizens have been urged to stay at home in hopes of preventing the spread of COVID-19, but in the meantime one individual was getting ready to leave the country, and that is none other than the infamous Amer Fakhoruy. The US-Lebanese dual citizen who has been detained in Lebanon since September was released after a military tribunal stated his 10-year statute of limitation has ended, meaning that courts no longer had the legal jurisdiction to trial him on the crimes of which he was accused of committing. Since his arrival, Fakhoruy has been accompanied by a wave of criticism and with his departure this wave of criticism is now coupled with one of controversy.

Before discussing the specifics on what has happened recently, it is necessary to shed a light on what occurred in the past in order to further understand the situation. Amer Fakhoruy was a member of the South Lebanese Army (SLA), a militia that worked alongside israel during the 18-year occupation of the south, whereby his efforts in monitoring the notorious detention center based in the town of Khiam, earned him the name “Butcher of Khiam.” The cyclical use of torture is one of the many ways by which the center violated the rights of its prisoners during their time of incarceration. 

Fakhoruy’s return in September was his first time back in Lebanon since he fled to Israel in May, 2000 before going to the United States.

            “I am very grateful to the Lebanese government” exclaimed President Donald Trump when addressing the return of Amer Fakhoruy, a move that was highly advocated for by senators Jeanne Shaheen and Ted Cruz, whom were willing to introduce a bill that imposed sanctions on the Lebanese officials responsible for the detainment of the Fakhoruy. Dropping the charges against Fakhoury caused a ripple effect of anger and frustration amongst citizens, local media, and even politicians. The backlash of the decision prompted the head of the Military Tribunal, General Hussien Abdallah, to step down from his post. One Lebanese judge even tried issuing a two-month travel ban against Fakhoruy. The frustration of the people is highlighted by a former aid of Fakhoury, Antoine Howayek, being killed in the Lebanese town of Mieh Mieh. Nevertheless, the decision left people wondering who was to be blamed for this outcome, as there was a come understanding amongst the people that such a decision could not have come to fruition without the approval of the prominent political actors. Fingers pointed towards Hezbollah, the Future Patriotic Movement (FPM), and the Amal Movement all of whom were quick to deny the allegations and condemn the release of Fakhoury.  Hezbollah retreated to its crux of “anti-American” rhetoric and even released a statement claiming that “The dignity of all Lebanese has been insulted by this vile political ruling.” The FPM also made sure to parry any accusation regarding the involvement of its leader, Gebran Bassil, in possibly brokering the deal.

It remains quite possible that this could all be just an attempt by the various political parties to desperately try and save face in order to mask the use of backdoor politics. The Lebanese government could not afford to spoil relations with the United States and so the release of Amer Fakhoruy seemed like a small price to pay in order to maintain a functioningrelationship. The whole ordeal has seemed to play in President Trump’s favor, who could look for any victories amidst the growing threat of COVID-19 in the U.S. and a fast approaching election. The return of Fakhoury along with Michael White, a U.S. citizen who had been detained in Iran, President Trump works to develop the image of a leader that is truly concerned about his people.

With all that in mind, one last thing that can be obtained from the Amer Fakhoury case is that, despite the presence of a dangerous pandemic and a worsening economic crisis, the events of the past can never be put on hold and history will forever be a prominent actor in the cultural and political landscape of Lebanon.