Report: Security Agencies Await ‘All Data’ Decision from Judicial Committee
A judicial committee is expected to meet on Monday to decide whether to allow security agencies to have access to the so-called telecommunications data for “urgent security reasons,” As Safir daily reported.
The newspaper said that the Army Intelligence, the General Security Department and the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch had asked for “all data,” which enables the tracking of telephone communications.
The authority, which is made up of three top judges, held a meeting last week with the interior and justice ministers to discuss the issue, As Safir said.
It held another meeting last Friday with the representatives of the security agencies and telecom experts.
The issue has previously caused controversy in Lebanon as the March 14 opposition coalition accuses Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui of refusing to provide security services with the data on the pretext of protecting people’s privacy.
But Sehnaoui stresses that his ministry cannot provide to anyone “all data” without the approval of the judicial committee in line with a cabinet decision.
As Safir said that the judicial committee will most likely approve the request on Monday given the exceptional security circumstances in the country.
It quoted a source close to the committee as saying that the judges would condition their approval to a limited timeframe of no more than two months and the abstention of the security agencies from wiretapping.
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