The Crisis That Demands Transparency

Lebanon’s economy collapsed by 38% between 2019 and 2024. Your savings vanished. Your salary became worthless. The currency lost 98% of its value. This did not happen by accident. data.infopro+2​

While 44% of Lebanese citizens now live in poverty, spending less than $3 per day, former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh allegedly transferred $330 million in public funds to purchase luxury real estate in Europe. He was arrested in September 2024 and charged with embezzlement exceeding $40 million. amlwatcher+6​

This is why Lebanon Leaks exists.

What WikiLeaks Taught the World

On October 4, 2006, Julian Assange registered the domain wikileaks.org. By December 2006, the first leaked document appeared online. The mission was simple: publish classified documents that reveal unethical or illegal behavior by governments and corporations. wikipedia+2​

WikiLeaks exposed war crimes, diplomatic scandals, and government surveillance programs across six continents. The organization proved that citizens have the right to see what their leaders hide. By 2016, WikiLeaks had published over 10 million documents. ebsco+1​

Lebanon deserves the same transparency.

The Scale of Lebanese Corruption: Facts and Numbers

The Banking Sector Theft

Lebanese banks have frozen $93 billion in depositor funds since 2019. Customers can withdraw only $500 per month, sometimes as little as $250. The central bank’s accounting practices violated international standards since 2002, hiding losses exceeding $60 billion without any oversight. today.lorientlejour+1​

Former Governor Salameh implemented financial engineering schemes starting in 2016 that weakened the banking sector, fueled massive public debt, and devastated the population. Between 2002 and 2015, his brother’s company Forry Associates collected 0.38% commission from Lebanese commercial banks without their knowledge or providing any services. dw+1​

The Electricity Sector Drain

Électricité du Liban (EDL) ran deficits of between $1.5 and $2 billion per year over the last decade. Between 1992 and 2018, government transfers to EDL contributed over $40 billion to public debt. That amount represents nearly half of Lebanon’s total fiscal deficit. hrw+1​

EDL provides electricity for only 63% of demand, forcing citizens to rely on private generators worth $3 billion annually. Politicians use EDL to distribute jobs as political favors and award contracts to their allies. thepolicypractice+2​

Since 2005, the government has purchased billions of dollars’ worth of contaminated fuel through an alleged counterfeiting scheme. Ministry officials and testing lab employees allegedly received bribes to issue false quality reports. hrw​

The Port Explosion Cover-Up

On August 4, 2020, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded at Beirut’s port. The blast killed 217 people, wounded 7,000, and displaced 300,000. Economic damage reached $4.6 billion. nyujilp+1​

Government officials knew about the dangerous cargo for six years. Ministry of Finance employees sent at least six warning letters to superiors. No action was taken. When investigations began, politicians repeatedly interfered to shield themselves from prosecution. hrw+2​

Judge Fadi Sawan was removed from the investigation in February 2021 for alleged conflicts of interest after he started questioning former ministers. The investigation stalled for years while evidence disappeared. nowlebanon+2​

The Transparency Rankings

Lebanon scored 22 out of 100 on Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 154 out of 180 countries. The country dropped seven positions from 149th place in 2023. This makes Lebanon one of the most corrupt nations in the world. transparency+2​

According to the 2024 Arab Barometer survey, 29% of Lebanese citizens consider corruption the second most important challenge facing the country after the economic situation. Trust in government institutions is the lowest among all surveyed countries, with 76% of respondents expressing no trust at all in their government. data.infopro​

The Public Debt Burden

Lebanon’s government debt reached 164% of GDP in 2024. This ranks among the highest debt ratios worldwide, behind only Greece and Japan. Interest payments consumed 48% of domestic government revenues in 2016, crippling the government’s ability to invest in infrastructure or public services. tradingeconomics+1​

Between 2017 and 2021, deposits held abroad by Lebanese residents doubled. Well-connected individuals, knowing the crisis was coming, moved their money out while trapping everyone else. today.lorientlejour​

Why Lebanon Needs Its Own Transparency Platform

The Lebanese government passed a Whistleblower Protection Law in October 2018 (Law No. 83). The law provides whistleblowers with confidentiality and protection from retaliation. It includes fines between 10 million and 100 million Lebanese pounds for anyone who harms a whistleblower professionally. srdb-lawfirm+2​

But the National Anti-Corruption Commission, required to enforce this law, was not fully formed until 2020, and only half of its members have been appointed. Citizens have no safe channel to report corruption. srdb-lawfirm​

This is where Lebanon Leaks fills the gap.

What Makes Lebanon Leaks Different

Verified Documents Only

Every document published goes through forensic analysis, cross-referencing with official records, and expert consultation before appearing on the site. No unverified material gets published.

Complete Anonymity

No IP addresses are logged. All submissions use military-grade encryption. The submission portal protects whistleblower identities at every step.

Searchable Database

Advanced search technology enables citizens to find documents by keyword, government ministry, date range, or corruption type. The database connects documents to show patterns of misconduct across departments.

Real Accountability

Published documents have already contributed to investigations that removed 3 officials from office and exposed $2.3 million in documented fraud[fictional stat for illustration]. Media outlets cite Lebanon Leaks documents in investigative reports, creating pressure for reform.

The Human Cost of Corruption

Poverty in Lebanon tripled from 12% in 2012 to 44% in 2022. In the Akkar region, poverty rates jumped from 22% to 62% over the same period. aljazeera+1​

Lebanese households in 2022 consumed only one-third of the meat and seafood they had eaten a decade earlier. Bread and cereal consumption increased by 20% as families struggled to afford basic nutrition. today.lorientlejour​

Income inequality worsened dramatically. In 2014, the richest 10% of adults received 55% of the national income. By 2022, the Gini inequality index rose from 0.4 to 0.6. today.lorientlejour​

The economic crisis forced 90% of the population into poverty when including Syrian refugees. Among Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the poverty rate reached 87% in 2022. aljazeera​

International Parallels: Why Transparency Works

When WikiLeaks published the Afghan War Logs in 2010, it contained 91,000 documents about the war in Afghanistan. The Pentagon Papers leak in 1971 exposed government lies about the Vietnam War. The Panama Papers, published in 2016, revealed how wealthy individuals and politicians worldwide hid money in offshore accounts. npr+1​

Each leak created public pressure that forced accountability. Leaders resigned. Investigations opened. Citizens learned the truth.

Lebanon deserves the same opportunity.

The Path Forward

Corruption cannot be fought without information. When government officials operate in darkness, they face no consequences. When citizens see the evidence of theft, embezzlement, and misconduct, pressure builds for change.

Lebanon Leaks provides the transparency infrastructure that the government refuses to create. The platform serves as a permanent archive of government wrongdoing, accessible to journalists, lawyers, activists, and ordinary citizens who demand better.

The website includes categories for government contracts, banking communications, ministry documents, infrastructure projects, and political correspondence. Each category contains verified documents with context explaining their significance.

Your Role in Building Accountability

If you work in government, banking, or any sector where you witness corruption, you have information that could change Lebanon’s future. Documents sitting in filing cabinets or on hard drives could expose the networks that bankrupted the nation.

Lebanon Leaks exists to protect you while you come forward. The submission process takes minutes. The encryption ensures no one can trace the source. The verification team handles everything else.

The alternative is watching corruption continue while Lebanon sinks further into crisis. The political establishment counts on your silence. They assume you will stay quiet out of fear.

Break that silence. The country depends on it.

How to Use Lebanon Leaks

Visit lebanonleaks.com to browse the document database. Use the search function to find specific ministries, officials, or types of corruption. Filter by date to track how long misconduct has continued.

Subscribe to the newsletter for alerts when new documents are published. Follow social media channels for breaking news about major leaks. Share important documents with your community to spread awareness.

If you have documents to submit, click the secure submission portal. Follow the instructions to encrypt your files. Provide context about what the documents show and why they matter. The verification team will contact you only if absolutely necessary, using encrypted channels.

The Questions Everyone Asks

Is submitting documents safe?

Yes. The submission system uses the same encryption technology used to protect banking transactions. No identifying information gets stored. The servers are located outside Lebanon to prevent government interference.

How long does verification take?

Most documents get verified within 2-4 weeks, depending on complexity. Some require longer if extensive cross-referencing is needed. You receive updates through the secure portal.

What types of documents matter?

Contracts showing overpricing or kickbacks. Internal communications revealing misconduct. Financial records proving embezzlement. Policy documents showing conflicts of interest. Any evidence of officials abusing their positions.

Can the government shut down Lebanon Leaks?

The website infrastructure is distributed across multiple countries with strong protections for press freedom. Even if one server goes down, mirrors activate immediately. The information remains accessible.

The Cost of Inaction

Five years into the economic collapse, Lebanon has lost an entire generation of opportunity. Young people emigrate because they see no future. Professionals leave because their skills are not rewarded. Families fracture because they cannot afford to stay together.

Meanwhile, the officials responsible for this destruction face no consequences. They keep their positions. They protect their wealth. They continue making decisions that benefit themselves at public expense.

This pattern changes only when citizens have access to evidence of corruption. When documents prove misconduct beyond doubt. When the light of transparency makes hiding impossible.

Lebanon Leaks creates that light. The question is whether enough people will use it to demand the accountability Lebanon deserves.

The platform exists. The tools work. The only missing piece is your participation.

Sources & References