When Disinformation Tries to Rewrite a Verdict

In May, I wrote about the years of fear, grief, and intimidation my family endured after Hezbollah unjustly detained my father, Amer Fakhoury, in Lebanon. Since then, we have taken difficult steps toward healing—and toward truth. A U.S. court ruled that my father was held hostage by Hezbollah and held the Iranian regime responsible for that injustice. A Lebanese prosecutor, who oversaw Amer’s case, went on national television and admitted what we have always known: Amer was unjustly detained, smeared, and used as a political pawn. These are not rumors. They are matters of public record.

Yet with every truth that comes to light, a fresh wave of disinformation follows. Recently, a video began circulating in English repeating debunked claims and attacks the integrity of the U.S. judge who ruled in our case—calling the court “lazy” and “negligent.” We will not amplify that video or name the individual. That is precisely the attention these campaigns seek. But we will address what’s happening.

This is not healthy skepticism. It is a strategy
What we are seeing is a familiar playbook:
Recycle old falsehoods that have already been disproven.
Launder those claims through new faces and new languages to reach fresh audiences.
Attack institutions and process—judges, courts, and families—rather than engage with the facts on the record.
Use U.S.-based platforms to manufacture outrage and direct it at a private family.

Disagreement with a court decision is normal in a democracy. But there are legitimate channels for that—appeals, legal analysis, and good-faith debate. Name-calling and conspiracy are not accountability; they are harassment masquerading as critique. Every time these videos resurface, our family receives another wave of threats and harassment. This is not abstract. It creates undue attention on us at a time when we are trying to grieve, heal, and move forward. It puts my family—and the broader community—at risk. When orchestrated disinformation targets a private family, it is not just speech. It is harm. It deters others from speaking up. It chills truth-telling. And it invites violence by inflaming people who are eager for a target.

We will continue to correct the record without feeding the outrage machine. We won’t name individuals who are trying to build a following by attacking our family. We will keep our focus on facts and on Amer’s legacy. We have carried this burden for years. We have told the truth when it was difficult, and we will keep doing so—calmly, consistently, and without fear. The attempts to rewrite what is already a matter of record will not change the truth. They only expose the tactics of those who prefer noise over evidence.

We will keep standing for Amer’s legacy, for our family’s safety, and for a public square where facts matter more than fury.