Charles Rizk ( ar, شارل رزق) (born 20 July 1935) is a Lebanese

Maronite The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...

politician, who served at different cabinet posts.

Early life and education

Rizk was born on 20 July 1935. He studied at the prestigious Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, and received a PhD in law.

Career

Rizk was a faculty member at

Lebanese University The Lebanese University (LU) (, ) is the only public university in Beirut, Lebanon. It is ranked #701–750 worldwide in terms of education. The creation of the Lebanese University was an idea first mentioned in the speech of the former Minist ...

until he joined politics. He began his political career as an aide to President Fuad Chehab. He was Lebanon's representative at the

Francophonie Francophonie is the quality of speaking French. The term designates the ensemble of people, organisations and governments that share the use of French on a daily basis and as administrative language, teaching language or chosen language. The ...

. Then he became director general of the information ministry in 1967. From 1978 to 1983 he served as the head of the state television station

Tele Liban Tele may refer to: * Television * Tele (band), a German rock/pop band * Tele Ikuru, Deputy Governor of Rivers State * Télé, Mali, a rural commune of the Cercle of Goundam in the Tombouctou Region of Mali * Telemarketing * Telegraphy * ''Eveni ...

. At the beginning of 2005, Rizk was appointed information minister. In July 2005, then Prime Minister

Fouad Siniora Fouad Siniora ( ar, فؤاد السنيورة, translit=Fu'ād as-Sanyūrah; born 19 July 1943) is a Lebanese politician, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon, a position he held from 19 July 2005 to 25 May 2008. He stepped down on 9 November 2009 ...

controversially appointed Rizk as justice minister, a post claimed by

Michel Aoun Michel Naim Aoun ( ar, ميشال نعيم عون ; born 30 September 1933) is a Lebanese politician and former military general who served as the President of Lebanon from 31 October 2016 until 30 October 2022. Born in Haret Hreik to a Mar ...

and also by Saad Hariri. 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 Serge Brammertz (born 17 February 1962) is a Belgian prosecutor, academic and jurist. He serves as the chief prosecutor for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) since 2016. He also served as the chief prosecutor f ...

because of his alleged inactivity in the ongoing investigation. Rizk's term as justice minister lasted until July 2008. He was not appointed to the national unity government headed by

and was replaced by

Ibrahim Najjar Ibrahim Najjar is a lawyer, a professor of law, a Lebanese politician and a former Justice minister (2008–2011). Early life and education Najjar was born the 2nd September 1941 in Tripoli, North Lebanon, and is an adherent of the Greek Orthodox ...

. Rizk was one of the candidates for the Lebanese presidency in 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rizk, Charles Living people 1935 births Information ministers of Lebanon Justice ministers of Lebanon Tourism ministers of Lebanon Candidates for President of Lebanon Academic staff of Lebanese University Lebanese Maronites