BEIRUT: Security forces partially evacuated and searched the Justice Ministry headquarters for explosives Tuesday following a threat to the building by an anonymous caller.
The caller telephoned the ministry at around 12:30 p.m. local time and made unspecified threats aimed at the ministry. “Evacuate the ministry’s building, or else,” warned the caller.
Security forces responded immediately, cordoning off the vicinity in search for explosives inside the facility which is adjacent to the Justice Palace near the National Museum in Beirut.
However, security forces did not find any traces of a bomb.
State Prosecutor Said Mirza told reporters that 10 judges had received threats through anonymous calls Monday, adding that an investigation was under way to find the identity of the caller, especially that the number used was the same each time.
Justice Ministry director general Omar Natour said that not every employee responded to the evacuation call with some remaining inside the building.
A legal source told The Daily Star that threats against Lebanon's legal body constituted a great danger, particularly that the threat was aimed at the judicial authority.
"[The judicial body] is the only remaining authority still functioning normally after disrupting the work of other authorities ... It is important to fully protect the legal body and the judges who are considered the remaining guarantor of the state and its sovereignty in light of the [recent] paralysis that is hitting the political and administrative institutions.”
The Justice Palace has received similar threats in the past but all of the alerts turned out to be hoaxes. Sources say the method has been used to delay trials.
The caller telephoned the ministry at around 12:30 p.m. local time and made unspecified threats aimed at the ministry. “Evacuate the ministry’s building, or else,” warned the caller.
Security forces responded immediately, cordoning off the vicinity in search for explosives inside the facility which is adjacent to the Justice Palace near the National Museum in Beirut.
However, security forces did not find any traces of a bomb.
State Prosecutor Said Mirza told reporters that 10 judges had received threats through anonymous calls Monday, adding that an investigation was under way to find the identity of the caller, especially that the number used was the same each time.
Justice Ministry director general Omar Natour said that not every employee responded to the evacuation call with some remaining inside the building.
A legal source told The Daily Star that threats against Lebanon's legal body constituted a great danger, particularly that the threat was aimed at the judicial authority.
"[The judicial body] is the only remaining authority still functioning normally after disrupting the work of other authorities ... It is important to fully protect the legal body and the judges who are considered the remaining guarantor of the state and its sovereignty in light of the [recent] paralysis that is hitting the political and administrative institutions.”
The Justice Palace has received similar threats in the past but all of the alerts turned out to be hoaxes. Sources say the method has been used to delay trials.
No comments:
Post a Comment