After she documented a puppy’s abuse abuser’s sister reports Ghina Nahfawi   

Animal rights activist Ghina Nahfawi has been summoned to the Bourj Hammoud police station following a complaint filed by a lawyer from the Souma family over a case involving the abuse of a puppy in Dora. Nahfawi was originally asked to appear on Saturday, but the hearing was postponed until Monday after she insisted on exercising her legal right to have her attorney present.

The case raises renewed concerns over the intimidation of activists, as those who document and expose abuse find themselves facing legal action, while the person behind the abuse is recast as the victim. The result is a troubling reversal of roles, where legal complaints can be used to pressure those speaking out, and pursuing the person who exposed the incident becomes easier than holding the perpetrator accountable.

The story began in early August when footage circulated online showing a man abusing a puppy in Dora. Nahfawi shared the video and called for the dog to be handed over to animal welfare groups. Separately, several activists obtained a phone number associated with the man and contacted it to demand the puppy’s release. The number was later found to belong to his sister, a lawyer, who subsequently filed a complaint against Nahfawi, accusing her of inciting activists against her.

However, Ghina had no role in obtaining or circulating the phone number. It was independently found and shared by activists and social media users outraged by the footage, who contacted the number on their own initiative.