BEIRUT, Lebanon - The state has charged an opposition Lebanese television station with harming relations with Syria in the second prosecution of a Christian-owned channel in four days.
Prosecutors accused Murr Television of "disturbing Lebanon's ties with a brotherly state (Syria), hurting the president's dignity, slandering security agencies and disturbing the country's peace," judicial officials said Friday.
The charges were filed against Ziad Njeim, the host of the talk show "Istifta," Arabic for referendum, and the head of political programs, Boulos Haddad, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
The suit focuses on a July broadcast of the talk show, where panelists discussed press freedom in Lebanon. Syria was criticized as the Damascus government wields considerable influence in Lebanon, where it stations thousands of troops.
Christians opposing Syria's presence in Lebanon, who lost much of their political power after the 1975-90 civil war, have frequently complained that they are targeted by the pro-Syrian Lebanese government, although the administration is equally divided between Christians and Muslims.
The majority owner of MTV, Gabriel Murr, told The Associated Press that the Lebanese authorities "want the media outlets to receive information from (security) agencies and to carry out the orders of the agencies."
Murr added the channel could not be held responsible for the opinions of those who spoke on the talk show.
On Tuesday, prosecutors began investigating Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, accusing it of inciting sectarian divisions in its coverage of a civil servant who shot dead eight colleagues. The civil servant was Muslim and seven of his victims were Christian.
The case against LBC, the most popular Christian-owned channel, is due to be heard on Aug. 22.
MTV station was also charged Thursday with violating an election law that prohibits propaganda. The channel is accused of supporting Murr in June when he won a hotly contested by-election for parliament against his niece Mirna Murr.
Gabriel Murr is the brother — and political foe — of former Interior Minister Michel Murr and the uncle of the current Interior Minister Elias Murr.
Both Gabriel Murr and the head of news at LBC, Jean Joseph Feghali, said the prosecutions of their channels were political.
MTV carries the "facts as they are, the opinions of journalists as they are, and the opinions of politicians as they are," Murr said.
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said Wednesday the government was applying existing laws and has no intention to control the press.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday it was deeply concerned about the LBC prosecution.
"We urge authorities to drop this investigation immediately and to refrain from bringing such cases against news organizations," the committee's executive director, Ann Cooper, said.
Lebanon has eight television stations and several have close ties to one of the country's 18 religious sects.