Lebanese Activist Jailed for 'Collaborating' with Israel
Lebanon's military prosecution on Monday sentenced an activist to three years in prison for "collaborating" with Israel and traveling to it, a judicial source said.
The National News Agency said Kinda al-Khatib was sentenced for allegedly visiting Israel, contacting Israeli agents and providing them with security information.
Lebanon is technically still at war with Israel and forbids its citizens from traveling there.
Al-Khatib was detained in June with her brother, who was later released. According to local media reports, she had visited Israel by crossing from Jordan.
Al-Khatib had been active on social media, where she harshly criticized Lebanon's Iran-backed Hizbullah and its ally President Michel Aoun.
Her family and activists have denounced her arrest as "political" because of her tweets against those in power.
Lebanese media and activists have drawn a parallel between Khatib's case and that of actor Ziad Itani, who was also accused of "collaborating" with Israel in 2017.
Itani was declared innocent and released several months later, and a high-ranking security officer was then charged with "fabricating" the case.
Source: Agence France Presse, Associated Press
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