Lebanon – In an issued statement by the Free Patriotic Movement this afternoon, it denounced "what was issued by the Council of the Bar Association in Beirut on giving permission to prosecute Attorney Wadih Akl, based on a lawsuit filed against him by Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, for crimes of defamation and provoking sectarian strife."

"Everyone knows that this lawyer has rounds over dossiers suspected of corruption, including, for instance, those related to the Council for Development and Reconstruction, Intra Bank, the Middle East Airlines, Al-Nafaa, Casino du Liban, and others...,” the statement said.

“Attorney Akl assumed the tasks of prosecuting the corrupt, whether in Lebanon or abroad, and he had a key role in moving the foreign judiciary that is conducting its investigations today with the Governor of the Banque du Liban and his system...It is no secret that moving the criminal lawsuit submitted by Mr. Mikati aims to intimidate and limit the movement and enthusiasm of Attorney Akl and those who stand beside him or those who wish or have the intention to follow his path in combating corruption and confronting the corrupt, whether political or non-political,” then statement went on.

It added: “The Bar Association is the main protector of public freedoms and the source of immunity for every lawyer who performs the duty to defend his clients, so how about if the client is the Lebanese people whose money was stolen by these corrupt individuals?”

The statement stressed that the Free Patriotic Movement rejects the Bar Association’s decision and insists on continuing its path in combating corruption, no matter how heavy the sacrifices, assuring that Mikati's lawsuit will have no impact on it while declaring support to Attorney Akl through all available judicial procedures to challenge the decision of the Bar, according to the rules, before the concerned judicial authority.

The Movement also called on anyone wishing to join its anti-corruption campaign “to keep pace with its steps aimed at following up on all files, foremost of which being the Beirut port explosion dossier.”

The statement concluded by affirming that "the Free Patriotic Movement will not rest until all those who contributed to the impoverishment of the great Lebanese people are punished."