Charles Rizk (Arabic: شارل رزق) (born 20 July 1935) is a Lebanese Maronite politician, who served at different cabinet posts.
Charles Rizk | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office July 2005 – July 2008 | |
| President | Emile Lahoud Michel Suleiman |
| Prime Minister | Fouad Siniora |
| Succeeded by | Ibrahim Najjar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 July 1935 |
| Nationality | Lebanese |
Early life and education edit
Rizk was born on 20 July 1935.[1] He studied at the prestigious Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris,[2] and received a PhD in law.[1]
Career edit
Rizk was a faculty member at Lebanese University until he joined politics.[1] He began his political career as an aide to President Fuad Chehab. He was Lebanon's representative at the Francophonie.[2] Then he became director general of the information ministry in 1967.[1] From 1978 to 1983 he served as the head of the state television station Tele Liban.[1]
At the beginning of 2005, Rizk was appointed information minister.[1] In July 2005, then Prime Minister Fouad Siniora controversially appointed Rizk as justice minister, a post claimed by Michel Aoun and also by Saad Hariri.[3] The appointment of Rizk, a man close to president Lahoud, was opposed as it was felt that the investigation into the murder of Rafic Hariri would be unlikely to be pursued vigorously by a pro-Lahoud minister. Rizk silenced critics by giving the investigation under UNIIIC-Commissioner Detlev Mehlis his full support while later on he became an outspoken critic of Mehlis' successor Serge Brammertz because of his alleged inactivity in the ongoing investigation.[2]
Rizk's term as justice minister lasted until July 2008. He was not appointed to the national unity government headed by Fouad Siniora and was replaced by Ibrahim Najjar.[4]
Rizk was one of the candidates for the Lebanese presidency in 2007.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lebanon leading presidential candidates". Lebanon Wire. 23 September 2007. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Charles Rizk". Fanoos. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ "Anti-Syrians dominate in cabinet lineup". The New York Times. 20 July 2005. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ "Lebanon's 'unity cabinet' announced". Ya Libnan. 11 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.