By
Wassim Mroueh
ROUMIEH,
Lebanon: Some of the seven Lebanese Islamist detainees released Tuesday blasted
judicial authorities for holding them for several years without trial.
The
detainees, who were released on bail, were arrested for alleged ties with the
Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam group which fought a deadly battle against the
Lebanese Army in the summer of 2007 in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of
Nahr al-Bared.
Fourteen
men were originally scheduled for release Tuesday but some foreigners among
them were referred to the General Security for further processing, after which
they will be released. Some other Lebanese due to be released Tuesday are also
facing other, unrelated charges.
Mohammad
Khaled was the first to be released.
“I
am happy, but disappointed at the same time,” he told reporters. “Who will
compensate me for the five years and one month [in prison without trial]? The
investigations should have taken only one week.”
Khaled
said he had been studying medicine in Russia before he was sent to prison.
Having returned to Lebanon, Khaled said he presented himself to authorities
when he discovered he was wanted for questioning.
“I
went by myself for investigation [in Lebanon] because I expected there to be
justice in Lebanon ... but I was only released now.”
Khaled,
32, said he would continue his studies outside Lebanon. “I will continue my
life outside Lebanon, I will abandon this passport which I am not honored to
carry,” he said, as he flashed his Lebanese passport.
The
seven have been released on bail, which was set at LL500,000 each. The fees
were paid by Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office.
Relatives,
many of whom had been waiting for hours, cheered as the seven exited the
prison’s gates, rushing to embrace their loved ones.
Many
relatives of the approximately 180 Islamist inmates arrested after the 2007
clashes have been protesting across the country, particularly in the northern
city of Tripoli, demanding that the government speed up legal procedures as
most of the detainees have yet to face trial.
President
Michel Sleiman expressed relief Tuesday over the judiciary’s recent efforts to
hasten the processing of the cases of those released.
The
president also expressed hope that the process would continue, thereby closing
the cases of the remaining Islamist detainees, and helping to ease prison
overcrowding.
Another
of those released Tuesday, Jalal Metlej said that he was arrested over a nearly
90-second telephone conversation with his friend and neighbor in Tripoli.
“It
turned out later that this person has links to Fatah al-Islam,” he said. “I was
arrested for five years and one month because of a phone call lasting one
minute and 27 seconds: I had no trial and had only a preliminary investigation
... Had I been a collaborator [with Israel], I would have been released within
two months or one year.”
Relatives
of Islamist detainees were angered by the release of Fayez Karam, a senior
official with the Free Patriotic Movement, who was charged with collaborating
with Israel. Karam benefited from a sentence-reduction law and was released in
April after serving around 18 months in prison.
“But
unfortunately, a Sunni Muslim in this country is of no value,” Metlej said. He
described life in Roumieh prison as “tragic.” He called on judicial authorities
to release all Islamist detainees, who he said are being treated unjustly.
Asked about his plans now that he has been released, Metlej said, “I will
continue my life and raise my children.”
Ahmad
Ayoubi, who spent five years in prison, “definitely has a feeling of
injustice.” He said: “I was not brought to trial and received no charges.”
Referring
to other Islamists still in prison, Ayoubi said, “there are young men inside
whose children are hungry ... we want them to be treated humanely and to be
released.”
He
said the situation inside the prison is inhumane. “You cannot live in this
prison, cattle cannot live there,” he said. “We were seven or eight inmates to
a cell where only one man can fit.”
Also
released Tuesday were Ibrahim Qbayter, Ahmad Safarjalani, Hussein Sahyoun and
Abdel-Rahman al-Bayda.
Of
the other seven who had also been due to be released, Palestinians Mohammad
Wehbe and Jihad Qadi were referred to General Security, and Palestinian Mussa
Ismail, along with Syrian Munjid Fahham, remained in prison on other charges.
Lebanese
Ahmad al-Ater still has to serve a month and a half on another charge and
Mahmoud Seif, also Lebanese, is charged with unrelated attacks against the
Lebanese Army. Ahmad Ahmad still has three more days to serve.
On
their way home, the detainees received a public welcome in the northern town of
Qalamoun, where they were carried and showered with rice.
In
Tripoli, Sheikh Salem Rafeii welcomed the released detainees in his home.
Rafeii
said it is unjust to keep the remaining Islamists in custody until a courtroom
is opened in September, as promised by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
“Through
[retaining the detainees in prison], extreme injustice will be inflicted on
them and on their families,” he said.
“We
wish that all Islamist detainees be released, especially since they committed
no crime, but that they were arrested after telephoning wanted people,” he
added.
He
said that officials have promised to him that they will release the remaining
detainees.
Relatives
of Islamist Tarek Merhi, who is still in prison, erected a tent in Tripoli’s
Nour Square in protest against Merhi not being released Tuesday. A larger
sit-in stopped Monday after the organizers heard that some detainees were set
to be released.
Families
of some released detainees gathered near Roumieh prison in the early morning,
with Ayoubi’s relatives skeptical that he would actually be released.
“They
dragged him in his pajamas and slippers because he received a phone call from
his friend, who turned out to be in Fatah al-Islam,” his sister told The Daily
Star. “We knew nothing about him for one month ... and there are people
suffering similar injustice in the prison who have received no trial.”
“He spent five years in
prison and couldn’t finish his thesis, he was majoring in mechanical
engineering – who will compensate him for this?” she asked.By
Wassim Mroueh
ROUMIEH,
Lebanon: Some of the seven Lebanese Islamist detainees released Tuesday blasted
judicial authorities for holding them for several years without trial.
The
detainees, who were released on bail, were arrested for alleged ties with the
Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam group which fought a deadly battle against the
Lebanese Army in the summer of 2007 in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of
Nahr al-Bared.
Fourteen
men were originally scheduled for release Tuesday but some foreigners among
them were referred to the General Security for further processing, after which
they will be released. Some other Lebanese due to be released Tuesday are also
facing other, unrelated charges.
Mohammad
Khaled was the first to be released.
“I
am happy, but disappointed at the same time,” he told reporters. “Who will
compensate me for the five years and one month [in prison without trial]? The
investigations should have taken only one week.”
Khaled
said he had been studying medicine in Russia before he was sent to prison.
Having returned to Lebanon, Khaled said he presented himself to authorities
when he discovered he was wanted for questioning.
“I
went by myself for investigation [in Lebanon] because I expected there to be
justice in Lebanon ... but I was only released now.”
Khaled,
32, said he would continue his studies outside Lebanon. “I will continue my
life outside Lebanon, I will abandon this passport which I am not honored to
carry,” he said, as he flashed his Lebanese passport.
The
seven have been released on bail, which was set at LL500,000 each. The fees
were paid by Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office.
Relatives,
many of whom had been waiting for hours, cheered as the seven exited the
prison’s gates, rushing to embrace their loved ones.
Many
relatives of the approximately 180 Islamist inmates arrested after the 2007
clashes have been protesting across the country, particularly in the northern
city of Tripoli, demanding that the government speed up legal procedures as
most of the detainees have yet to face trial.
President
Michel Sleiman expressed relief Tuesday over the judiciary’s recent efforts to
hasten the processing of the cases of those released.
The
president also expressed hope that the process would continue, thereby closing
the cases of the remaining Islamist detainees, and helping to ease prison
overcrowding.
Another
of those released Tuesday, Jalal Metlej said that he was arrested over a nearly
90-second telephone conversation with his friend and neighbor in Tripoli.
“It
turned out later that this person has links to Fatah al-Islam,” he said. “I was
arrested for five years and one month because of a phone call lasting one
minute and 27 seconds: I had no trial and had only a preliminary investigation
... Had I been a collaborator [with Israel], I would have been released within
two months or one year.”
Relatives
of Islamist detainees were angered by the release of Fayez Karam, a senior
official with the Free Patriotic Movement, who was charged with collaborating
with Israel. Karam benefited from a sentence-reduction law and was released in
April after serving around 18 months in prison.
“But
unfortunately, a Sunni Muslim in this country is of no value,” Metlej said. He
described life in Roumieh prison as “tragic.” He called on judicial authorities
to release all Islamist detainees, who he said are being treated unjustly.
Asked about his plans now that he has been released, Metlej said, “I will
continue my life and raise my children.”
Ahmad
Ayoubi, who spent five years in prison, “definitely has a feeling of
injustice.” He said: “I was not brought to trial and received no charges.”
Referring
to other Islamists still in prison, Ayoubi said, “there are young men inside
whose children are hungry ... we want them to be treated humanely and to be
released.”
He
said the situation inside the prison is inhumane. “You cannot live in this
prison, cattle cannot live there,” he said. “We were seven or eight inmates to
a cell where only one man can fit.”
Also
released Tuesday were Ibrahim Qbayter, Ahmad Safarjalani, Hussein Sahyoun and
Abdel-Rahman al-Bayda.
Of
the other seven who had also been due to be released, Palestinians Mohammad
Wehbe and Jihad Qadi were referred to General Security, and Palestinian Mussa
Ismail, along with Syrian Munjid Fahham, remained in prison on other charges.
Lebanese
Ahmad al-Ater still has to serve a month and a half on another charge and
Mahmoud Seif, also Lebanese, is charged with unrelated attacks against the
Lebanese Army. Ahmad Ahmad still has three more days to serve.
On
their way home, the detainees received a public welcome in the northern town of
Qalamoun, where they were carried and showered with rice.
In
Tripoli, Sheikh Salem Rafeii welcomed the released detainees in his home.
Rafeii
said it is unjust to keep the remaining Islamists in custody until a courtroom
is opened in September, as promised by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
“Through
[retaining the detainees in prison], extreme injustice will be inflicted on
them and on their families,” he said.
“We
wish that all Islamist detainees be released, especially since they committed
no crime, but that they were arrested after telephoning wanted people,” he
added.
He
said that officials have promised to him that they will release the remaining
detainees.
Relatives
of Islamist Tarek Merhi, who is still in prison, erected a tent in Tripoli’s
Nour Square in protest against Merhi not being released Tuesday. A larger
sit-in stopped Monday after the organizers heard that some detainees were set
to be released.
Families
of some released detainees gathered near Roumieh prison in the early morning,
with Ayoubi’s relatives skeptical that he would actually be released.
“They
dragged him in his pajamas and slippers because he received a phone call from
his friend, who turned out to be in Fatah al-Islam,” his sister told The Daily
Star. “We knew nothing about him for one month ... and there are people
suffering similar injustice in the prison who have received no trial.”
“He spent five years in
prison and couldn’t finish his thesis, he was majoring in mechanical
engineering – who will compensate him for this?” she asked.
By
Wassim Mroueh
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Jun-20/177448-freed-islamists-slam-their-detention-without-trial.ashx#axzz1yLGY74xp
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