Le Forze Libanesi - Sito Ufficiale

Charges include harming Syrian ties

By Nada Raad
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, May 19, 2004

BEIRUT: The judiciary questioned 16 members of the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement on Tuesday, all of whom are charged with "undermining the state's authority and harming Lebanese-Syrian relations" during demonstrations in 2001.

Mount Lebanon Chief Investigating Magistrate Joseph Qazzi listened to the statements of FPM general coordinator Nadim Lteif, FPM members Salim Aoun, Fouad Farhat, Walid Dagher, Antoine Nasrallah, George Atallah, Elie Bitar, Fadi Barakat, Hikmat Deeb, Patrick Misthi and Charbel Abi Akl, and LF members Elie Keyrouz, Tony Yazbeck, Nader Nader, Simon Mousallam and Salman Samaha.

On Aug. 7, 2001, several hundred anti-Syrian activists were rounded up in a security clampdown that prompted denunciations from politicians across the political spectrum.

Tuesday's questioning focused on the charges of "forming a group aimed at undermining the state's authority, commiting crimes against people and property, delivering speeches unauthorized by the government and harming Lebanon's ties with Syria, as well as distributing leaflets that could weaken nationalist sentiment."

Previous efforts to select a date for questioning were unsucessful, as not all the 16 members could attend.

Qazzi decided to release the suspects pending investigation, a decision in line with the opinion of the representative of the Public Prosecutor's office.

Qazzi wrapped up the interrogation of Lteif, Deeb, Misthi, from the FPM and Nader and Abi Akl from the LF. He also concluded investigations and the lawsuits filed against Dagher, Nasrallah, Atallah, BItar, Barakat, Aoun and Farahat from the FPM and Keyrouz, Yazbeck Moussalam from the LF.

An FPM source told The Daily Star the charges against the 16 are "political," not "criminal," and that they are being questioned under Article 288 of the Criminal Law, which deals with charges of harming Lebanese ties with another country, and could bring 15 years in jail.