Democracy Dies in Darkness
Middle East

U.S. journalist detained during Lebanon protests on suspicion of sending footage to Israel

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January 20, 2020 at 4:42 p.m. EST
A riot police officer fires tear gas at anti-government protesters during ongoing demonstrations against the Lebanese central bank’s governor and the deepening financial crisis at Hamra trade street in Beirut on Jan. 14. (Hussein Malla/AP)

BEIRUT — An American journalist has been detained in Lebanon on suspicion of sending footage of anti-government protests to an Israeli news outlet — a potentially serious crime under Lebanese law — authorities here said Monday.

Journalist advocacy groups and friends of freelancer Nicholas Frakes, 24, said they believed his arrest in downtown Beirut on Sunday night was a case of mistaken identity stemming from a misunderstanding about the way international news coverage works.