October 28, 2026
Beirut – At 10:30 a.m. this morning, a meeting of depositors’ associations carried out a sit-in under the title “Day of Rage and Dignity,” in defense of the rights of depositors and the benefit of their lives, and demanding the full return of deposits in the original deposit currency with interest, rejecting any solutions that detract from their financial and legal rights.
The protesters raised a set of demands, most notably compensation for holders of deposits in the Lebanese pound, especially retirees, and the return of differences resulting from circulars and account expenses, in addition to compensation for holders of preferential shares. They also stressed the rejection of any law that conflicts with the rights of depositors or affects individual property, and the rejection of any proposal that includes writing off funds or deducting what is classified as impurities in the accounts.
The protesters called on the state to work to find fair solutions that guarantee the recovery of deposits, and to hold responsible the parties that seized the funds and benefited from them, not to the depositors, while distributing responsibilities fairly between the state, banks, and the Bank of Lebanon.
In an interview with the “Lebanon Debate” website, Saeed Zuwayhed, speaking on behalf of the protesting depositors, confirmed that the movement witnessed the participation of depositors’ associations, stressing the continuation of the struggle in defense of their rights through local and international judicial processes, and field movements such as demonstrations and sit-ins, and communication with international organizations, human rights organizations, the European Union, and the International Monetary Fund, stressing that “the depositor’s right does not die.”
Zuwayhed said that depositors will not accept anything less than the full return of their deposits, in addition to legal compensation for the damages they suffered as a result of the detention of their funds by banks, the Bank of Lebanon, or their supporters.
Commenting on the proposed trend regarding what is known as “depositor centralization” – which is linked to counting the depositor’s accounts with multiple banks under one roof for recovering funds – Zouehed rejected this proposal, stressing that the current governor of the Bank of Lebanon, Karim Saeed, is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Riad Salama. He addressed him, saying: “It is not possible to accept what he proposes, especially what he calls the rights of depositors with blemishes. The depositor who has endured hardships throughout his life cannot have his deposit called blemishes,” advising him by saying: “Sew without this obelisk,” and stressing the need to confront these attempts.
He added that the movements will continue until the demands are met, pointing out that the rights of depositors do not lapse with a statute of limitations, and that they are continuing to overturn all “nonsense” issued by the ruler, the government, or the ministers, adding: “Depositors today are given a period of time, but they will not be neglected. We will take our deposits, whether they accept or not, even if it costs our lives!”
Regarding the possibility of escalation, Zuwayhed explained that the previous move was characterized by greater severity, noting that they gave an opportunity for attempts and negotiations by those concerned with the depositors, by adopting “soft diplomacy at times, and hot diplomacy at other times.”
Zuwayhed concluded by stressing that the movements will continue as long as the rights of depositors are not restored, stressing that all associations will continue their struggle to demand the return of deposits and compensation due.
