A U.S. citizen residing in Beirut, Lebanon, has brought a defamation lawsuit against a Dubai-based media conglomerate over a news story alleging his involvement in money laundering for Hezbollah. The plaintiff, Achraf Safieddine, filed the complaint in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County on February 5, 2021, targeting MBC FZ, LLC and its subsidiaries.
Safieddine's suit centers around a September 2020 news story broadcasted on Al Arabiya and Al Hadath channels and later republished online. The story claimed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was funneling money out of Lebanon with Safieddine's assistance. According to the complaint, these allegations were defamatory and caused significant reputational and economic harm to Safieddine.
The defendants moved to quash the lawsuit on grounds of lack of personal jurisdiction, arguing that their contacts with California were insufficient to warrant jurisdiction. They contended that their broadcasts were primarily aimed at audiences in the Middle East and North Africa and that any viewership in California was incidental due to an agreement with DISH Network to rebroadcast Al Arabiya content across the United States.
The trial court agreed with the defendants, ruling that there were not enough minimum contacts with California to support jurisdiction. The court noted that while Safieddine maintained some connections to California—such as a mailing address and family ties—the primary focus of his professional activities was in Beirut. Additionally, it was found that only a small fraction of Al Arabiya’s global audience resided in California.
Safieddine sought damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress but faced challenges proving that the alleged defamatory content specifically targeted or significantly impacted him within California. His request for jurisdictional discovery was also denied by the court, which found no likelihood that further investigation would uncover sufficient evidence to establish jurisdiction.
The case highlights complex issues surrounding international defamation claims and jurisdictional reach. With judgment entered in favor of the defendants on March 7, 2022, Safieddine's appeal is now under consideration.
Attorneys involved include Janet Gusdorff from Dudorff Law representing Safieddine and Chad R. Bowman along with Matthew S.L. Cate from Ballard Spahr representing MBC FZ, LLC. The case is presided over by Judge Monica Bachner under Case ID B320642.