Ribal Al-Assad, the Director of the ODFS, has started libel proceedings against Hezbollah’s Al Manar Satellite TV station, former Lebanese MP Nasser Qindil and former minister Michel Samaha.

Over the last few months Mr Qindil and Mr Samaha have appeared on Al-Manar TV and made false allegations against Mr Assad accusing him of orchestrating the violence in Syria.

Mr Qindil falsely alleged that ‘Mr Assad is in Lebanon and has a command centre at the Quality Hotel in Tripoli, northern Lebanon from where he is directing groups who are behind the violence in Syria.’

Mr Samaha falsely alleged that ‘Mr Assad is the main person inciting division in Syria and is residing at the house of a major Lebanese leader in Faqra.’ He added that ‘Mr Assad is sending Syrians from the Northern and Bekaa valley frontiers to create violent disturbances in Syria and is protected by one of the Lebanese security services.’ He concluded by saying that ‘those who refused to act on Mr Assad’s behalf had had their houses burned.’

These false allegations were previously made on the Syrian News Channel and Addounia TV, which continues to make them.

The Al-Manar website carried a picture of Ribal Al-Assad on its main page for two months until recently. Al-Manar TV has consistently refused to give Ribal Al-Assad the right to reply to these false and politically motivated allegations. Therefore he is suing them for libel.

Mr Assad is not in Lebanon, nor has he been there since 1999. He is not directing any groups in Syria and does not support violence.