Swedish Citizen Detained in Lebanon for Alleged “Contact with Israel”
Mostafa Geha, a 39-year-old Swedish citizen of Lebanese descent, has been detained in Lebanon shortly after his arrival at Beirut airport. Geha, who had not visited his home country in twelve years, was looking forward to seeing his mother. However, upon presenting his Swedish passport to the border police, he was immediately stopped and taken into custody.
According to a family member, Geha was initially detained for two days before being released. However, he was required to report to the police several times a week. Today, he was scheduled to meet a judge at the military court, but to his family’s dismay, Geha was detained again.
Despite living a successful life in Sweden as the principal of adult education in Hedemora and being politically active within the Social Democrats party, Geha had to leave Lebanon in 2012 due to an assassination attempt. Local newspapers reported that five armed men targeted his car in the community of Damour.
In Sweden, Geha and his family were granted political asylum, as they had been living under constant threat in Lebanon. His father, a renowned journalist and writer during Lebanon’s civil war, published critical books about the regimes in Syria and Iran. Tragically, Geha’s father was shot dead by masked men when Mostafa was just eight years old. In a previous interview with German television channel DW, Geha accused Hezbollah of being responsible for his father’s murder.
Despite contacting authorities prior to his trip to Lebanon and being reassured that there were no obstacles, Geha was immediately arrested upon landing at the airport in Beirut. His family claims that his cell phone and computer were confiscated during his arrest.
Geha has been accused of having “contact with Israel,” specifically referring to chat messages with an Israeli journalist. These messages reportedly occurred in the context of an interview request during the upcoming 2022 election campaign. However, Geha declined the interview and informed the journalist that he intended to travel to Lebanon, wanting to avoid any issues with the authorities. The family vehemently denies any wrongdoing on Geha’s part and insists that this is the only evidence against him.
The fate of Geha now lies with the interrogator, who will decide whether he should be released or brought before the military court. The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed about the case by Geha’s relatives. In response, they stated that they are seeking information from local authorities through the Swedish embassy in Beirut.
Deprivation of liberty abroad does not necessarily fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs unless the detained individual requests their assistance. Geha’s family hopes for a speedy resolution to his case and his safe return to Sweden.