On June 13th 2023, following the plenary session organised in the European Parliament in Strasbourg about the situation in Lebanon. Omar Harfouch, a political and human rights activist, met with a series of MEPs in the European Parliament in order to raise awareness concerning the human rights situation in Lebanon and the need to act to stop corruption in order to establish peace in the Middle East.
A long official meeting with Vice-President Othmar Karas in his office was organised to discuss religious freedom as well as dialogue in Lebanon and the need to work on peace and coexistence between the different religious groups so as to guarantee security and prosperity for the Lebanese people.
Members of the European Parliament showed respect and admiration for Harfouch’s commitment to establishing a dialogue between the different political and religious institutions as well as his fight against corruption and for a free and democratic Lebanon.
MEP Lopez intervened later in the day during the plenary session to highlight the case of Harfouch and to raise awareness concerning the Arab and mainly Lebanese leaders as well as youth who want to establish a dialogue and fight against institutional antisemitism and find themselves accused of treason and risk prison or even worse, the death penalty.
During his meetings with MEPs, Harfouch explained how the economic situation was worse after the Beirut Blast and how his native country Lebanon was struggling to fight against corruption after a huge sum of money (about 10 billion euros) was transferred to European banking accounts of Lebanese Elite PEP, ministers and politicians and their families.
Thanks to his constant work for more than two years together with Judge Ghada Aoun, famous French Lawyer William Bourdon and some NGOs, the Financial French Tribunal and the Swiss Justice managed to freeze about 600 million euro of stolen Lebanese money.
Omar Harfouch’s program is to promote women’s rights and to give Lebanese women the right to give citizenship to their children born to foreign fathers.
He also wants to find a solution to the refugee crisis by naturalizing the Palestinian children who were born and have lived in Lebanon for years as refugees and who have no access to water, education and health.
There is a warrant arrest against Harfouch since he participated in a conference at the European Parliament in which according to Pro Hezbollah allies, pro-Israel and Jewish citizens were present. Harfouch met MEP Lizzi (member of the delegation for the relation with Mashreq countries), MEP Andrey Kovatchev (member of AFET committee), MEP Anna Bonfrisco (Member of EU Foreign, MEP Lopez Isturiz, MEP David Lega, as well as MEP Alvarez.
The above MEPs showed support and solidarity with the Lebanese people as well as the EU commitment to help Lebanon in its political, economic and humanitarian crisis and to advocate for freedom, democracy, human rights and women’s rights in Lebanon.
