Lebanese journalist sues German broadcaster DW over 'unfair' dismissal for anti-Israel posts

Lebanese Journalist Bassel Al-Aridi filed a lawsuit against German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle after he and four other Arab journalists were fired after social media posts criticising Israel were uncovered.

The state broadcaster suspended the five Arabic service employees after accusations of anti-Semitism - but critics have accused the channel of anti-Arab bias in handling the matter.

Al-Aridi filed a complaint to Beirut's Labor Arbitration Council, claiming DW acted in violation of Article 50 of Lebanon's labour law, according to Legal Agenda.

He said that he was treated unfairly and will demand compensation from DW.

"I went through this process because I'm quite confident that what happened [to] me is totally unfair," Al-Aridi told L’Orient Today.

"I can't be accused [of] anti-Semitism by any [means] or way. There is a huge difference between anti-Semitism and being against Israel."

Al-Aridi, along with his colleagues Murhaf Mahmoud, Maram Salem, Farah Maraqa, and Dawood Ibrahim, were fired on 7 February after an article in the German press claimed DW journalists shared anti-Semitic remarks on their social media accounts.

DW confirmed the news of the lawsuit and had earlier in the day announced that it had commissioned an "independent external investigation" into the allegations.

The broadcaster's own investigation into the incident was "biased, flawed and dangerous", the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said last month.