Naharnet - Authorities Release Two Activists Detained for Pro-Syrian Revolution Graffiti in Beirut, 21 April 2012

Two young Lebanese men who have been detained for daubing graffiti on Beirut walls in support of the uprising in neighboring Syria were released, media reports said on Saturday.

Fadi Tawfiq, a writer and rights activist, told Agence France Presse Ali Fakhri and Khodr Salameh were detained on Friday night for painting the flag used by rebels in Syria and "The revolution continues" in a district considered supportive of the Damascus regime.

The prosecutor general called for an investigation into whether the incident amounted to "incitement to cause trouble and division," said their lawyer, Adel Hamouni.

He said the charges could result in a fine for damage to public property but feared the affair could turn more serious if it was politicized.

Dozens of supporters held a sit-in protest outside the police station where the men were being held and wrote on the ground: "The bloggers are in prison and the thieves are outside."

A graffiti war has been waged on the walls of the Lebanese capital for months between the camps supporting the opposition in Syria and backers of President Bashar Assad.

Syria has played a dominant role in Lebanon since its 1975-1990 civil war and the Syrian-backed Shiite movement Hizbullah is currently the main partner in the unity government in Beirut.

Source: Agence France Presse

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