| The Daily Star |
BEIRUT: The Military Tribunal postponed Thursday a verdict in the case of retired Brig. Gen. Fayez Karam, a senior official of the Free Patriotic Movement charged with collaborating with Israel, until Aug. 30, a move that sparked commotion in the courtroom as Karam’s relatives and FPM’s supporters protested the decision.
Chaired by chief Judge Nizar Khalil, the session was devoted to hearing arguments before pronouncing the verdict. Karam was brought into the courtroom for the first time since his trial began.
Karam, a senior FPM official who returned to Beirut in 2005 with FPM leader Michel Aoun, was accused of collaborating with Israel and providing the Mossad with information about the FPM, Hezbollah and the meetings held between the two sides, and also information about other Lebanese parties in return for money. The tribunal’s indictment had demanded that Karam be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison with hard labor.
During Thursday’s hearing, Khalil read the response from the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces to his request to provide him the audio records of the preliminary investigation conducted by the ISF’s Information Branch with Karam. The response indicated that no such records existed.
After Military Public Prosecution Judge Fadi Aqiqi demanded the summons of Fadi Hammad, an Information Branch official who had testified before the tribunal that there were audio and video records, defense attorney Rashad Salameh objected, saying there was no contradiction between what the witness said and the ISF’s letter. This prompted Khalil to postpone the session until Aug. 30.
In May, Hammad, told the judiciary that records of the interrogation with Karam, in which he allegedly testified to his spying for Israel, were present at the Information Branch.
However, the ISF’s Directorate General refuted Hammad’s statement, saying that the ISF does not keep records of interrogations made by the Information Branch.
Following the postponement, Karam’s relatives and FPM supporters shouted in protest at the decision. Khalil shouted back at them and asked military officers and police to detain those responsible for the commotion.
Three people were briefly detained.
Karam’s lawyer, Cindrella Merhej, expressed surprise at the postponement and said it was “unjustified.”
Chaired by chief Judge Nizar Khalil, the session was devoted to hearing arguments before pronouncing the verdict. Karam was brought into the courtroom for the first time since his trial began.
Karam, a senior FPM official who returned to Beirut in 2005 with FPM leader Michel Aoun, was accused of collaborating with Israel and providing the Mossad with information about the FPM, Hezbollah and the meetings held between the two sides, and also information about other Lebanese parties in return for money. The tribunal’s indictment had demanded that Karam be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison with hard labor.
During Thursday’s hearing, Khalil read the response from the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces to his request to provide him the audio records of the preliminary investigation conducted by the ISF’s Information Branch with Karam. The response indicated that no such records existed.
After Military Public Prosecution Judge Fadi Aqiqi demanded the summons of Fadi Hammad, an Information Branch official who had testified before the tribunal that there were audio and video records, defense attorney Rashad Salameh objected, saying there was no contradiction between what the witness said and the ISF’s letter. This prompted Khalil to postpone the session until Aug. 30.
In May, Hammad, told the judiciary that records of the interrogation with Karam, in which he allegedly testified to his spying for Israel, were present at the Information Branch.
However, the ISF’s Directorate General refuted Hammad’s statement, saying that the ISF does not keep records of interrogations made by the Information Branch.
Following the postponement, Karam’s relatives and FPM supporters shouted in protest at the decision. Khalil shouted back at them and asked military officers and police to detain those responsible for the commotion.
Three people were briefly detained.
Karam’s lawyer, Cindrella Merhej, expressed surprise at the postponement and said it was “unjustified.”
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