L'orient le jour - Loi antitabac entre désillusion et pragmatisme les principaux concernés n’y croient pas, August 31 2012

Quelle que soit leur opinion, tenanciers de bars et de restaurants s’accordent sur un point : la loi antitabac, comme beaucoup d’autres, devrait faire long feu.

Pour les fumeurs, le compte à rebours est lancé. Qu’ils soient plutôt Almaza ou espresso, ils ne pourront bientôt plus consommer à l’intérieur d’un bar ou d’un restaurant en fumant cigarette et narguilé. Du moins officiellement. La mesure, qui entre en vigueur le 3 septembre, aura donc un impact direct sur les restaurateurs et tenanciers de bars, sans pour autant inquiéter. La seule évocation de la loi 174 les laisse d’ailleurs plutôt sceptiques. Et pour cause, nombre de lois antérieures à celle-ci ont été largement oubliées, à peine quelques mois après leur entrée en vigueur. « Il y a un bon nombre de nouvelles lois au Liban qui marchent seulement deux ou trois mois, maximum, comme c’était par exemple le cas avec la ceinture de sécurité. Puis, c’est fini », admet Élie Khouly, manager du Charlie’s à Gemmayze.

Marwan Arabi, tenancier du Kennedy’s à Hamra et diplômé d’un master de droit, admet également, un peu désabusé : « Tous les autres pays l’ont fait, mais nous sommes au Liban. Beaucoup de lois ne sont pas appliquées, peu importe qu’elles aient ou non un impact positif. »
Au Café Hamra, on ne se fait pas non plus beaucoup d’illusions : « Je suis favorable à la loi, bien sûr, mais je n’y crois pas. Et c’est sans compter les élections de 2013 : la loi pourrait devenir un enjeu de campagne et être amendée rapidement », confie Abdallah Chalhoub.

Deux poids, deux mesures
Un rapide tour d’horizon des cafés de Beyrouth laisse l’étrange impression d’une disposition qui ne serait pas loin du deux poids, deux mesures. Car s’ils sont égaux devant la loi, les restaurateurs et cafetiers ne sont pas pour autant concernés de la même manière par celle-ci. La première disparité, et non des moindres, reste bien entendu l’agencement du lieu, et l’existence éventuelle d’un espace ouvert. Terrasses, jardins et autres patios se trouvent donc comme autant de parades à la nouvelle législation. À ce titre, les commerces de Hamra n’ont rien à se faire envier. De quoi comprendre les réactions hésitantes du superviseur du Café Hamra. « La loi ? Oui, bien sûr, j’en ai entendu parler. C’est prévu pour le 9 septembre peut-être ? » tente Abdallah Chalhoub, avant d’ajouter : « Nous avions déjà établi une zone non fumeurs à l’intérieur du restaurant. Il sera facile de l’étendre, et les chichas pourront toujours être consommées dans le jardin. »

Au Ta Marbouta, même configuration, même son de cloche. « J’approuve totalement cette loi : c’est bon pour les clients, et pour les employés », affirme Ayman Ezzeddine. Mais contrairement aux idées reçues, il se trouve également de rares bistrots à l’enceinte fermée, où la cigarette n’est pas forcément la bienvenue. « Je suis non fumeuse et donc largement favorable à cette loi, que j’attendais depuis longtemps », confie Léa Fakhoury, gérante du DePrague. « J’espère fortement que cela va s’appliquer, même si ce sera difficile au début. La majorité des Libanais aiment fumer, c’est une question d’habitude. Cela va mettre un peu de temps je pense. »

À Gemmayzé en revanche, l’histoire est toute autre. Les bars de la rue Gouraud s’enchaînent le long d’un petit trottoir, ne laissant aucune place à d’éventuels aménagements extérieurs. Alors forcément, la loi ne fait pas l’unanimité. Au Charlie’s, le manager n’a pas pour autant l’air très au fait des échéances. « Ils ont précisé les dates ? Si c’est officiel et que tout le monde le pratique, on le fera aussi », assure néanmoins Élie Khouly. Ce qui n’empêche pas ce dernier de porter un regard critique sur la chose. « Je pense que les bakchichs (pots-de-vin) vont se développer énormément avec les policiers, pour qu’ils ferment les yeux sur les entorses faites aux règlements, comme c’est malheureusement souvent le cas. » Au Soixante-Huit, le directeur a quant à lui déjà trouvé une alternative. À peine a-t-il entendu parler de la loi, trois mois plus tôt, qu’il s’est rendu au ministère du Tourisme muni des plans de son bar, afin de plaider sa cause. « Les fenêtres donnant sur la rue s’ouvrent : il a donc été convenu que je pouvais conserver un espace fumeur de ce côté-là », montre-t-il, visiblement serein.

Des problèmes plus urgents
Certains rares cafés ou restaurants de Beyrouth ont déjà fait le choix d’être entièrement ou partiellement non fumeurs. À l’image du Classic Burger Joint, où la solution s’est imposée naturellement lors de l’ouverture en avril 2010. « C’est un petit espace, où les gens sont proches les uns des autres pour manger, et les cuisines ouvertes », explique Ahmad Abou Rich. « Bien sûr, certaines personnes ne l’ont pas accepté, mais la plupart approuvent, même les fumeurs, et nous n’avons pas constaté de réelles conséquences sur l’activité du restaurant. »

Le CaféSho, pionnier en matière d’interdiction de fumer, a en revanche eu beaucoup plus de difficultés à imposer sa première journée non fumeurs. « À l’époque (2007, NDLR), ce n’était pas un sujet d’actualité. Il a fallu près d’un an et demi, passé à discuter avec les clients et à défendre nos opinions », explique Sibylle, la propriétaire. Depuis, deux nouvelles journées ont été instaurées.
De témoignage en témoignage, force est de constater qu’un autre point de consensus apparaît clairement : « Il y a au Liban beaucoup de problèmes plus urgents à résoudre », résume Élie Khouly. « Ils devraient s’inquiéter de bien d’autres choses que le fait de fumer », affirme Mohammad, gérant du Soixante Huit. Mais à l’image de Sibylle, certains y voient néanmoins plus qu’une « loi supplémentaire » : « Il y a des urgences politiques, oui, mais je n’ai pas envie de voir le pays stagner pour autant. Les choses avancent très lentement ici, mais elles avancent.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775773/Loi_antitabac+:_entre_desillusion_et_pragmatisme,_les_principaux_concernes_n'y_croient_pas.html

L'orient le jour - Au jardin Gibran Khalil Gibran, commémoration de la Journée mondiale des disparus, August 31 2012

Pour les parents des détenus, la libération de Yaacoub Chamoun prouve qu’il existe toujours des prisonniers libanais dans les geôles syriennes.

Yaacoub Chamoun, ancien militant Kataëb, emprisonné durant 27 ans en Syrie et libéré il y a quelques semaines, ne s’est pas présenté hier devant le comité de suivi chargé par le gouvernement du dossier des disparus et qui est formé des juges Georges Rizk et Joseph Maamari.
Chamoun, arrêté par les Syriens alors qu’il avait 21 ans, devait tenir le comité au courant des informations qu’il détient sur les Libanais emprisonnés dans les geôles syriennes et qui sont toujours en vie. Le comité devrait l’écouter prochainement.
La libération de Chamoun a constitué le point essentiel des interventions lors de la conférence de presse qui s’est tenue au jardin public Gibran Khalil Gibran, dans le centre-ville, à l’initiative des parents des détenus libanais dans les geôles syriennes. 
Ont notamment participé à ce point de presse, qui a marqué, hier, la Journée mondiale des disparus, Ghassan Moukheiber, député du Metn et rapporteur de la commission parlementaire des Droits de l’homme, Ghazi Aad de Solid et Wadih Asmar, du Centre libanais des droits de l’homme.
« Nous aurions aimé que Yaacoub Chamoun soit avec nous. Mais le fait que son nom ait été rendu public l’a effrayé », a souligné Ghazi Aad, appelant « les journalistes à le laisser en paix et respecter sa vie privée ».
Aad a rappelé que « Chamoun a passé 27 ans dans les geôles syriennes, mais ce n’est qu’en 2006 que sa famille a pu localiser le lieu de sa détention ». « Cela prouve que, malgré ce que certains responsables libanais prétendent, il y a toujours des prisonniers libanais vivants dans les geôles syriennes », a-t-il poursuivi.
À la question de savoir pourquoi les parents de Yaacoub Chamoun ne se sont jamais adressés à la presse ou n’avaient pas enregistré son nom auprès de Solid après l’avoir localisé en Syrie, Ghazi Aad a indiqué qu’ils « avaient trop peur de parler de l’affaire, car ils ne voulaient pas perdre leur droit de visite ». « Yaacoub Chamoun nous a informés qu’il connaît cinq détenus libanais dans les geôles syriennes, a précisé le responsable de Solid. Ils sont toujours en vie. Deux d’entre eux figurent sur notre liste, contrairement aux trois autres. »
Pour sa part, M. Moukheiber a souligné que « la libération de Chamoun prouve que le dossier des détenus libanais dans les geôles syriennes n’entre pas dans le cadre du travail qui devrait être effectué sur la mémoire ». « Au contraire, il existe encore des détenus vivants, il faut œuvrer à leur libération avant qu’ils ne meurent sous la torture ou à cause des mauvaises conditions de détention », a déclaré M. Moukheiber. « Quelle que soit la situation en Syrie et quel que soit le régime au pouvoir à Damas, il relève de la responsabilité du gouvernement libanais de s’occuper de ce dossier qu’il a relégué aux oubliettes », a-t-il poursuivi. « Non seulement il faut libérer les prisonniers vivants, mais il est nécessaire aussi de rechercher les corps et les tombes des détenus libanais morts en Syrie, et cela même en déterrant les fosses communes », a-t-il dit.

Ali Abou Dehn
Pour sa part, M. Ali Abou Dehn, ancien prisonnier des geôles syriennes et président de l’Association des détenus libanais dans les prisons syriennes, a noté que « le gouvernement a été informé du fait que s’il ne prend pas notre dossier au sérieux, nous appellerons à la mise en place d’un comité international pour enquêter sur le sort des Libanais dans les geôles syriennes ». « Nous trouverons les moyens adéquats pour libérer les prisonniers et cela en ayant recours au secrétaire général des Nations unies, Ban Ki-moon », a affirmé Ali Abou Dehn.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775789/Au_jardin_Gibran_Khalil_Gibran,_commemoration__de_la_Journee_mondiale_des_disparus.html

Naharnet - Saqr Denies Release of 11 Suspects Involved in Tripoli Clashes, August 31 2012

State commissioner to the military court Judge Saqr Saqr denied on Friday that he ordered the release of 11 suspects, who were detained over their involvement in the latest gunbattles in the northern city of Tripoli.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) reported that Saqr ruled out reports saying that Prime Minister Najib Miqati intervened for the release of the men.

He noted, according to the radio station, that he didn’t order the arrest or release of any person over the incident

On Sunday, the army issued a communique confirming the arrest of 18 people, saying it seized quantities of arms, ammunition and military hardware after a patrol came under fire in al-Zahriyeh.

The National News Agency reported on Thursday that seven suspects will be referred to the Military Tribunal for legal measures if there was evidence of their involvement in the Tripoli clashes.

The NNA added that the remaining 11 were freed for not having ties to the clashes between the majority Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh and the mainly Alawite Jabal Mohsen.

But according to al-Mustaqbal daily, the 11 men, who are from al-Mouri family, were on Sunday seized along with two truckloads of weapons and ammunition in al-Zahriyeh neighborhood.

Life slowly returned to normal in Tripoli on Monday after six days of gunbattles between the rival neighborhoods, which left scores of casualties.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51878

The Daily Star - Hopes high among relatives of missing, August 31 2012

By Van Meguerditchian

BEIRUT: When several armed men stormed the house of Iskandar Zakharia in May 1985, they asked him to join them on a ride to answer some questions.

Instead he was handed to the Syrian army, who in turn transfered him to a prison in the country. Iskandar’s sister, Lina Zakharia says: “27 years is a lot of time for some questions, but I am not giving up, he will return home.”

Since the day he walked out of the house with the men, Lina says neither she nor any of her family saw Iskandar again. “He was 26 then, he is 53 now.”

Lina’s 80-year-old mother, Samira, has joined other mothers of missing Lebanese in demonstrations and campaigns in Beirut, calling for the establishment of an international body to help free their sons from Syrian jails.

“After all these years, she [Samira] still has hope, she has entrusted my brother’s fate to God,” Lina says.

According to Lina, her brother was a Business Marketing graduate of the Lebanese American University in Beirut and was working at HSBC bank in Hamra.

“He was a very smart guy and he had many friends on both sides of the city [East and West Beirut],” she says.

Several former prisoners who managed to leave Syrian jails recognized Iskandar and told Lina that her brother was “alive and in a Syrian jail.”

Twelve other Lebanese working in various banks in Beirut were also kidnapped the same month as Iskandar and forcibly taken to Syria.

“Although we never knew which jail he was in, a Lebanese state security officer visited us back in 2007 and he said he was 90 percent sure that Iskandar was in a prison in Syria,” Lina told The Daily Star.

Hundreds of Lebanese are believed to be serving life sentences in some of Syria’s most notorious prisons including Mazze, Sidnaya and Tadmor.

Former prisoners have recounted horrific descriptions of torture they experienced in those prisons.

The recent popular uprising in Syria has given many families of missing Lebanese hope that their sons could be freed soon.

Ghazi Aad – founder and head of Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile – says that his foundation has the names of 600 Lebanese who are still missing in Syria, but he believes that there could be many more.

Clutching an old photograph of her son at 21, Mary Babikian still hopes Noubar will surprise her by coming home, 26 years after his disappearance.

“I wait every day for him. I wait for him to surprise me although I don’t know if I would believe it if I saw him,” 81-year-old Mary says as she walks around a tent in front of the U.N.’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia’s building in Downtown Beirut.

Noubar, an electrician, was kidnapped in Dora in broad daylight.

“We didn’t hear anything of him until a Lebanese guy who left the Syrian jail told us that he saw Noubar in a prison in Syria and they spent a lot of time together in the jail until they were put in separate prisons,” Noubar’s sister Zarouhi says.

Having held a permeant sit-in in Downtown Beirut for many years, SOLIDE and the families of the missing say they have all but given up on the prospect of establishing an international body to advocate for the issue.

Now, the families have turned their focus to the government.

But many government officials have downplayed the case of the missing citizensin Syria, fearful that public support for such a cause would stir up difficulties with a key strategic neighbor.

Hneineh Abu Nakad’s brother Joseph is another Lebanese in a Syrian prison. “He had just started a new job as a truck driver and was not involved with any political party,” Nakad says.

Joseph was kidnapped in 1983.

Hneineh is among 30 people holding a sit-in next to the tent in Downtown Beirut, waiting for good news about their relatives and the government’s probe into their abductions.

She says her brother was kidnapped while driving the truck in Metn’s Dhour Choueir.

Hneineh, like many others, tried to hire a Syrian lawyer in attempt to see her brother in Syria, but they were not granted a visit.

“We paid a lot of money to be able to see him ... but we don’t have any more money,” she says. “We were told 12 years ago that Joseph was in Tadmor prison but that was it.”

Another woman is still hopeful to see her son, who was 16 years old when he was kidnapped in Tripoli. She fears she might not recognize him once he comes out, she says.

Moustafa Zakzouk, a student in Tripoli, was kidnapped and taken to Syria in 1988.

“He was just a student and they took him on his way to school ... Everyone who was released from the Syrian prisons gave me a different account of my son ... Some told me he was in Saadnaya, others told me he was in Tadmor,” his mother laments.

She hasn’t give up hope of seeing him again though, and believes that her son as well as the hundreds of othersmissing will return home safely only once the Syrian regime collapses.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-31/186213-hopes-high-among-relatives-of-missing.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

L'orient le jour - Samaha transféré au siège de la police militaire pour « raisons de sécurité », August 31 2012

L’ancien ministre Michel Samaha a été transféré des locaux du tribunal militaire où il se trouvait jusqu’à présent à la prison du siège de la police militaire à Rihanieh (Baabda), sur ordre du procureur général près le tribunal militaire, le juge Sakr Sakr. Le transfert s’est effectué pour des « raisons de sécurité », selon des sources bien informées, compte tenu d’éléments d’informations sur « une possible opération sécuritaire de grande envergure qui pourrait être effectuée pour tenter de libérer » Samaha.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775806/Samaha_transfere_au_siege__de_la_police_militaire_pour__%3C%3C+raisons_de_securite+%3E%3E.html

NowLebanon - Sit-in held in Beirut’s Hamra on occasion of International Day of the Disappeared, August 30 2012

On the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, relatives of Lebanese people who went missing and were kidnapped during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) staged a sit-in in Beirut’s Hamra.  

According to the National News Agency, the protest took place on the sidelines of an exhibition organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross at a hall affiliated with the Tourism Ministry.

Widad Halawani, the head of the committee of abducted and missing Lebanese, addressed the relevant authorities on behalf of the protesters, calling on them to bear responsibility toward Lebanese citizens “and those living in Lebanon through [enforcing] justice and law and protecting people’s rights and safety.”

She also underlined the importance of “holding on to the draft law that was prepared to resolve” the issue pertaining to missing and kidnapped Lebanese.

The protesters also called on the relevant authorities to listen to their points of view on the aforementioned case. 

Rights groups have said that thousands of Lebanese nationals were arbitrarily detained and sent to Syrian prisons after the start of the Lebanese civil war and the Syrian entry into the country. 

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=431930#

The Daily Star - Seven suspects in Tripoli violence face trial, August 30 2012

BEIRUT: Seven people detained on suspicion of involvement in recent deadly clashes in the northern city of Tripoli are expected to be referred to the Military Tribunal in the next 24 hours for trial, following the conclusion of their investigation.

If they are convicted of direct involvement in the deadly events, the men could face up to life in prison.

Eleven other gunmen who were arrested were released after it was determined that it could not be established that they had participated in deadly acts of violence.

Earlier this month, weeklong clashes in Lebanon's second largest city erupted between two rival districts: Sunni dominated anti-Assad Bab al-Tabbaneh and Alawite majority pro-Assad Jabal Mohsen.

In response to the clashes, the city's political and security figures met, agreed to a cease-fire and called for the redeployment of the Army, which in turn implemented a security plan to restore order in Tripoli.

On Sunday, troops detained 18 gunmen and seized quantities of arms, ammunition and military hardware in Al-Zahiriyeh neighborhood, which is adjacent to Bab al-Tabbaneh.

Soldiers have also carried out additional raids in search of gunmen and arms in a bid to prevent a renewal of fighting.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-30/186145-seven-suspects-in-tripoli-violence-face-trial.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

Naharnet - Samaha’s Bodyguard, Driver Testify in Bombings Plot, August 30 2012

Military Examining Magistrate Judge Riyad Abu Ghida heard on Tuesday the testimonies of ex-Minister Michel Samaha's bodyguard and driver over the bombing attacks plot.

Bodyguard Ali Mallah and driver Fares Barakat, who were arrested for questioning on Aug. 9 and later released, testified to Abu Ghida on the transfer of explosives from Syria in an attempt to carry out bombings in northern Lebanon.

Samaha’s lawyer Sakhr al-Hashem met with the former minister at the headquarters of the military police.

Meanwhile, Abu Ghida summoned al-Joumhouria newspaper’s editorial director Charles Jabbour and manager Khalil Abu Antoun to hear their testimonies as witnesses for publishing the transcript of Samaha’s confessions.

But the session was postponed to next Tuesday.

Samaha was arrested by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch during a raid on his house on Aug. 9.

The former minister, Syrian National Security Bureau head Ali Mamlouk and a Syrian officer identified as Brig. Gen. Adnan were accused on Aug. 11 of plotting to assassinate political and religious figures in Lebanon and carry out terrorist attacks.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51523

Naharnet - Samaha Moved to Rihaniyeh Military Prison over 'Security Reasons', August 30 2012

Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr decided on Thursday to transfer ex-Minister Michel Samaha, who was detained on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks in Lebanon, to al-Rihaniyeh military prison in Baabda.

According to the National News Agency, Samaha was moved from his previous detention center in the military tribunal in Beirut's Mathaf area to al-Rihaniyeh for “security reasons.”

The former minister, Syrian National Security Bureau head Ali Mamlouk and a Syrian officer identified as Brig. Gen. Adnan were charged on Aug. 11 with plotting to assassinate political and religious figures in Lebanon and carry out terrorist attacks.

On Tuesday, Military Examining Magistrate Judge Riyad Abu Ghida heard the testimonies of Samaha's bodyguard and driver over the bombing attacks plot.

Bodyguard Ali Mallah and driver Fares Barakat, who were arrested for questioning on Aug. 9 and later released, testified to Abu Ghida on the transfer of explosives from Syria in an attempt to carry out bombings in northern Lebanon.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51753

The Daily Star - Renewed efforts to free Lebanese jailed in Syria following detainee’s release, August 30 2012

By Jana El Hassan

BEIRUT: Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said Wednesday that his ministry is finalizing the draft decree establishing the Independent National Commission (INC) mandated with investigating the fate of Lebanese missing persons.

“Hopefully, the draft will be ready within the next few days [and I will] sign it and refer it to the Cabinet,” Qortbawi told The Daily Star.

Qortbawi said that the INC’s members are taking into consideration the observations of the State Shura Council, but stressed that it will be an independent and non-governmental body. He added that its members will include judges as well as representatives of the Red Cross and the families of the missing.

“They will be tasked with gathering information about the missing Lebanese,” said Qortbawi.

Commenting on the release of Lebanese citizen Yaacoub Shamoun, who was released three months ago after having been imprisoned in Syria for 27 years, the minister said that the Lebanese Judicial Committee is following up on his case.

Shamoun’s release three months ago has only recently been made public, with Shamoun having initially refused to make his situation known for fear of being subjected to violence at the hands of pro-Syrian elements.

Qortbawi said that the Committee would want to hear from Shamoun whether he had come into contact with other Lebanese detainees in the Syrian prisons in which he was incarcerated.

“We will meet with Shamoun Thursday at 10:30 am at the Committee’s office in Beirut to hear about his imprisonment in Syria,” Judge George Rizk, one of the Committee’s two members, told The Daily Star.

Rizk also indicated that the Committee is seeking to determine whether any other Lebanese prisoners are detained in Syria.

According to Rizk, the Committee had been working on the case with its counterpart, the Syrian Judicial Committee, until the Syrian security situation deteriorated.

“We had a few names of missing [Lebanese] possibly detained in Syria, but the Syrian side continued to deny that it had any information on them,” said Rizk.

Ghazi Aad, founder and director of SOLIDE (Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile), voiced optimism over Qortbawi’s efforts, saying that establishing the INC is a very positive step toward revealing the fate of the missing Lebanese.

“We have been calling for establishing such a body for a long time, and we hope it will finally see the light of day,” Aad told The Daily Star.

He added that Shamoun’s release proves that reports denying the presence of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons are wrong.

“I met with Shamoun and talked to him. He mentioned five detainees we didn’t have in our six-hundred missing persons list, which means there might be even more Lebanese in Syrian jails,” Aad said.

Shamoun also met with Metn MP and Kataeb party member Sami Gemayel in Bikfaya, Mount Lebanon, Wednesday afternoon, according to the National News Agency. Gemayel praised Shamoun and presented him with an award for his many sacrifices.

For his part, Shamoun said, "I am happy to return to my house and to the house of the Kataeb," and thanked those in attendance for the appreciation and affection they showed him.

Shamoun release has given hope to the relatives of hundreds of other Lebanese who were kidnapped during the 1975-90 Civil War.

The Syrian regime has long denied holding Lebanese prisoners of conscience, only to release a trickle every so often.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-29/186060-renewed-efforts-to-free-lebanese-jailed-in-syria-following-detainees-release.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

Naharnet - Political Prisoner Returns after 27 Years, Confirms More Lebanese Held in Syria, August 30 2012

The recent release of a Lebanese man who had been detained in Syria in the past 27 years brought back to the spotlight the issue of the Lebanese who went missing during Lebanon’s 1975-90 Civil War.

The media identified the man as 49-year-old Yaacoub Chamoun, who was seized in the eastern city of Zahle, and later moved to several Syrian prisons during his incarceration, including the notorious Mezze, Saydnaya and Tadmor prisons.

Chamoun was also placed in solitary confinement for four years.

He was later transferred to a civilian prison and was able to secure his release by paying millions in cash through a powerful Syrian lawyer.

The release of Chamoun in July proved that Syrian authorities were still detaining Lebanese political prisoners despite claims that they had set all of them free.

The Assad regime has long denied holding any prisoners of conscience, but on four different occasions between 1976 and 2000 has released Lebanese who had been held in Syrian prisons.

The man confirmed to LBCI TV network that there are Lebanese political prisoners in Syrian jails and said he had encountered five of them but he refused to name them for fears that the revelation would do them harm.

The head of the committee of Lebanese political detainees in Syrian jails, Ali Abu Dehen, told An Nahar daily that a former prisoner had been sent to meet Chamoun and inquire him about other Lebanese.

But the committee failed in getting any additional information , Abu Dehen said.

The civil war has claimed the lives of at least 150,000 people. For over 21 years, more than 600 families -- Lebanese and Palestinian -- have demanded authorities reveal the fate of the thousands believed to have disappeared at the hands of Syrian troops who entered Lebanon shortly after the outbreak of the war.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51473

Naharnet - Police Free 19-Year-Old Girl Abducted in Tripoli, August 30 2012

Hanadi Nuaimi, who disappeared mysteriously in the northern city of Tripoli two days ago, was freed overnight Wednesday.

Tripoli police arrested the gang that kidnapped the 19-year-old girl under the commands of the head of the gendarmerie, Brig. Gen. Bassam Ayoubi, the National News Agency reported.

On Wednesday night, several roads were blocked with burning tires in the area of al-Tal in Tripoli over the abduction.

Media reports said that the abductors had contacted Nuaimi family demanding them to pay a $20,000 ransom in exchange for her release.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51727

L'orient le jour - Des passeports biométriques bientôt pour 400 000 Palestiniens, August 30 2012

Le ministre de l’Intérieur a inauguré hier la salle d’accueil, de dépôt et de retrait des demandes de la direction des affaires des réfugiés palestiniens, rue Béchara el-Khoury. Une salle croulant de vétusté dont les fonctionnaires, l’équipement et les registres dataient de... 1959.
Marwan Charbel n’a pas caché sa fierté d’avoir pu, en dépit de tout, trouver le temps nécessaire pour suivre l’opération de rénovation indispensable. Il s’est félicité de ce que les nouvelles installations abrégeront substantiellement les formalités des demandeurs et leurs allées et venues, y compris ceux d’entre eux qui souffrent d’un handicap physique.
La rénovation de la salle va de pair avec la mise au point d’un guide des formalités à l’intention des réfugiés, effort commun du ministère de l’Intérieur et de la commission de dialogue libano-palestinienne.
Tous les registres et documents du centre ont été archivés sur microfilms, a précisé M. Charbel, en prévision des nouveaux passeports biométriques que la direction des affaires des réfugiés envisage de mettre en circulation.
Les archives microfilmées comprennent quelque 400 000 noms, précise-t-on.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775600/Des_passeports_biometriques_bientot_pour_400+000_Palestiniens.html

L'orient le jour - Interdiction de fumer dans les lieux publics : une loi qui ne fait pas l’unanimité, August 30 2012

Lundi 3 septembre, la loi sur l’interdiction de fumer dans les lieux publics va entrer en vigueur. Dans un pays où les cigarettes ne sont pas chères, fumer est presque intégré dans la culture. Près de 80 % de la population fume : comment cette loi va-t-elle être respectée ?

Nous sommes allés à la rencontre de commerçants et de directeurs d’entreprises privées. Vont-ils appliquer la loi ? Si oui, comment vont-ils procéder pour la faire respecter ?
 Dans l’agence de voyages où travaille Mlle Rayan, un panneau interdisant de fumer a été placé depuis longtemps sur la devanture : « On a l’impression que tout le monde fume, mais il faut respecter le droit des non-fumeurs... ne pas leur imposer sa cigarette. Il s’agit de la santé propre à chacun. »
Même son de cloche auprès d’un responsable d’une entreprise média, pour qui cette loi est une bonne chose. « Je considère que chacun est libre et que nul ne doit porter préjudice à la santé des non-fumeurs », explique-t-il. L’interdiction, il l’avait prévue : des pancartes ornent les murs et portes de la société. Et si les employés ne respectaient pas ce règlement intérieur ? « Je sais que ça ne va pas être facile, mais je compte et crois en la moralité et l’esprit de discipline de chacun », poursuit le responsable.
Dans un salon de coiffure pour hommes, c’est toute une autre argumentation que l’on entend : « Le pays a d’autres problèmes à régler avant de se concentrer sur la cigarette... Ce sont de faux problèmes fabriqués de toutes pièces. Personnellement, je ne respecterai pas la loi. Si un de mes clients souhaite fumer, je ne le lui interdirai pas. Les gens viennent ici pour avoir un moment de détente. Les Libanais sont des gens stressés par la vie, pourquoi les priver de cela ? » affirme tout de go et pratiquement sans prendre son souffle le patron des lieux.
Dans le salon de coiffure pour dames à côté, l’avis est partagé. Cigarette au bec, le coiffeur nous précise que cela va être difficile, mais il insiste sur le fait que « nous travaillons sur la beauté : les cheveux par exemple sentent le tabac à peine la cliente sortie du salon...
En principe, , la loi devrait être appliquée, dans la réalité c’est une autre affaire ».
Quoi qu’il en soit, la cigarette est addictive. Un temps de transition supplémentaire pourrait sans doute s’instaurer discrètement pour que les gens perdent l’habitude de fumer n’importe où. En attendant un respect effectif de la loi.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775601/Interdiction_de_fumer_dans__les_lieux_publics+%3A_une_loi_qui__ne_fait_pas_l%27unanimite.html

L'orient le jour - Wissam Alaëddine, milicien responsable de l’attaque contre al-Jadeed, relâché au milieu des tirs de joie, August 30 2012

C’est un accueil triomphal qui a été réservé hier à Wissam Alaëddine, l’un des cinq miliciens responsables de l’attaque contre le siège de la chaîne télévisée al-Jadeed en juin, à Beyrouth. Des tirs de joie ont traversé le ciel de Zokak el-Blatt à Beyrouth, pour célébrer le retour de Alaëddine, relâché contre une caution d’un million de livres libanaises. Une balle perdue a atteint un officier de la brigade des pompiers de Beyrouth, à Riad el-Solh, qui a immédiatement été conduit à l’hôpital.
La remise en liberté de Alaëddine a été décidée par la chambre de mise en accusation de Beyrouth, présidée par la juge Nada Dakroub, annulant la décision du juge d’instruction suppléant Chawki Hajjar, qui avait rejeté la demande de remise en liberté du prévenu Wissam Alaëddine, seul détenu dans l’affaire de l’attaque contre al-Jadeed. Ce jugement survient après le retrait par al-Jadeed de la plainte civile qu’elle avait portée début juillet. Un retrait qui ferait suite à une série de contacts menés par des forces politiques avec la chaîne, après le refus des parties concernées d’intercéder en leur faveur auprès de son conseil d’administration. En outre, la durée de détention de Alaëddine est suffisante pour faire tomber l’action publique.
Al-Jadeed avait d’ailleurs également précisé que plusieurs partis politiques œuvraient en vue de la libération de Alaëddine. Selon la chaîne, le milicien arrêté avait avoué en juillet être affilié aux Brigades de la résistance, proche du Hezbollah, ce que le parti chiite a démenti.
Selon l’agence al-Markaziya, Wissam Alaëddine avait été transféré il y a dix jours de l’hôpital où il se trouvait vers la prison centrale de Roumieh, tandis que se poursuivent les recherches des autres miliciens impliqués dans l’attaque.
Rappelons que le 25 juin, cinq individus masqués – dont Alaëddine – ont attaqué le bâtiment d’al-Jadeed à Beyrouth, brûlant des pneus et tirant des coups de feu. L’enquête préliminaire a montré qu’une interview de cheikh Ahmad el-Assir, imam salafiste à Saïda, diffusée par la chaîne, constituait le prétexte de cette agression. Dans cette interview, l’imam s’en prenait notamment au secrétaire général du Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775587/Wissam_Alaeddine%2C_milicien_responsable_de_l%27attaque_contre_al-Jadeed%2C_relache__au_milieu_des_tirs_de_joie.html

L'orient le jour - Samy Gemayel reçoit Yaacoub Chamoun et évoque l’espoir renouvelé de revoir les Libanais détenus en Syrie, August 30 2012

Le coordinateur du comité central des Kataëb, le député Samy Gemayel, a reçu hier Yaacoub Chamoun, détenu dans les geôles syriennes depuis 26 ans, et qui est le seul des nombreux Libanais disparus pendant la guerre à avoir réussi à s’échapper de prison, profitant de la dégradation de la situation sécuritaire en Syrie. L’Orient-Le Jour, rappelle-t-on, avait été le premier à évoquer le retour du prisonnier, le 1er août 2012. Parallèlement à la médiatisation télévisuelle de cet événement, depuis seulement quelques jours, Yaacoub Chamoun a décidé de renoncer à l’anonymat qu’il avait requis au début de son retour, afin de faire entendre plus efficacement la cause de plusieurs centaines de Libanais détenus jusqu’à ce jour dans les prisons syriennes. Il s’est ainsi rendu hier au bureau du député Gemayel à Bickfaya, en présence d’une délégation d’étudiants du parti venue lui rendre hommage, emmenée par le responsable de la section jeunesse Patrick Richa.

« Le retour de Yaacoub Chamoun aujourd’hui renouvelle notre espoir pour les Libanais honorables qui sont séquestrés jusqu’à ce jour en Syrie, en raison de leur lutte politique, ou simplement de leur appartenance au Liban », a affirmé Samy Gemayel, renvoyant à l’État libanais « la responsabilité de réclamer la récupération de ces jeunes détenus, qui se trouvent dans une situation similaire à celle du camarade Yaacoub ». « Il est temps que cette affaire prenne une envergure nationale et qu’elle cesse d’être évoquée par un seul parti ou une seule catégorie de Libanais (...), sachant que les détenus en Syrie sont issus de multiples confessions et partis, et il est temps que nous nous entraidons, selon une logique humanitaire, pour rapatrier toutes ces personnes ». Le député a également mis l’accent sur la responsabilité de la communauté internationale et des organisations impliquées dans la défense des droits de l’homme. « C’est une responsabilité collective », a-t-il conclu, exprimant son souhait que « tous les efforts soient renforcés à ce niveau ». Il a ensuite remis à Yaacoub Chamoun le badge des Kataëb.
S’exprimant à son tour, Yaacoub Chamoun s’est dit « heureux de rentrer chez moi et à la maison des Kataëb. Le député Samy Gemayel me confie une grande responsabilité en me remettant ce badge, qui me fait honneur ».

Réunion aujourd’hui de la commission de suivi
Alors qu’au Liban le dossier des détenus en Syrie semble reprendre le devant de la scène, rien n’a changé du côté de Damas, qui continue de démentir toute présence de Libanais dans ses prisons. Ce qui n’empêche plus les autorités libanaises de s’activer pour la résolution du dossier. La commission chargée par le gouvernement du suivi de cette affaire doit se réunir aujourd’hui, sous l’égide du juge Joseph Maamari et en présence de Yaacoub Chamoun. Ce dernier devra fournir à la commission des informations utiles relatives aux circonstances de sa détention. Selon une source citée par l’agence al-Markaziya, « la commission de suivi multiplie ses réunions, loin des médias, afin d’accélérer la résolution du dossier. Son mandat a été renouvelé par le gouvernement et s’achèvera à la fin de l’année ».

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775590/Samy_Gemayel_recoit_Yaacoub_Chamoun_et_evoque_l%27espoir_renouvele_de_revoir_les_Libanais__detenus_en_Syrie.html

L'orient le jour - Aide émiratie aux réfugiés syriens, August 30 2012

Le comité de suivi des affaires des réfugiés syriens à Baalbeck a distribué le troisième lot de l’aide émiratie offerte par la Fondation Khalifa ben Zayed al-Nahyan pour les affaires humanitaires. Le comité avait distribué des aides durant le mois de ramadan incluant 2 500 caisses alimentaires aux familles réfugiées à Baalbeck et 1 800 caisses alimentaires aux familles syriennes installées à Ersal et dans le nord de la Békaa.

http://www.lorientlejour.com/category/Liban/article/775597/Aide_emiratie_aux__refugies_syriens.html

The Daily Star - Lebanon prosecution rejects Samaha's request to nullify testimony, August 30 2012

By Youssef Diab

BEIRUT: The military prosecutor’s office has rejected the defense’s requests that former Information Minister Michel Samaha be allowed to retract his testimony and summon a key witness.

Judicial sources told The Daily Star Thursday that the military prosecutor’s office and Military Judge Riad Abu Ghida have both struck down the motion by Samaha’s defense team.

They ruled that Samaha’s confessions are supported by incriminating evidence and that summoning undercover agent Milad Kfouri – the key witness in the case – from abroad would endanger his life.

The sources said that if Samaha’s attorneys Malek Sayyed and Youssef Finyanous insist on their motion, Abu Ghida would have to close the probe and issue an indictment against Samaha, who would then be required to appear in the military court for an arraignment hearing.

Kfouri provided incriminating video footage in the Samaha case. He was flown out of Lebanon sometime before the Aug. 10 police raid on Samaha’s residences in Beirut’s Ashrafieh and Metn’s Khanshara-Jwar, over fears for his safety.

Samaha, who is close to Syrian President Bashar Assad, was arrested Aug. 10 on charges of plotting terror attacks in Lebanon along with Syria’s National Security chief Brig. Gen. Ali Mamlouk and another senior general identified only by the first name of Adnan.

Samaha has confessed to plotting bomb attacks with Mamlouk and Adnan at the behest of Assad, according to alleged interrogation transcripts leaked to and published by a local newspaper Monday.

According to the leaked interrogation transcripts, Samaha tells Kfouri that the only four people who know of the plot are Assad, Mamlouk, Kfouri and Samaha himself.

Samaha sought to use Kfouri to execute the plot, but Kfouri set him up by informing the ISF’s Information Branch after holding a meeting with the former minister to identify the targets and plan the killings and identify the targets. Kfouri was then given recording devices to record subsequent meetings with Samaha, in which targets of the planned attacks were discussed again.

On Thursday, Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr ordered Samaha relocated from the military court in Beirut several kilometers northeast to the headquarters of military police in Reihanieh, Baabda, for security reasons related to his own safety.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-30/186143-samaha-transferred-to-new-location-for-security-reasons.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

The Daily Star - Lebanese ex-prisoner in Syria no-show at judicial committee meeting, August 30 2012

BEIRUT: A Lebanese former prisoner in Syrian jails failed to show up at a judicial committee meeting Thursday.

Yaacoub Shamoun, who was released three months ago after having spent 27 years in Syrian jails, did not show up at the time set by a Lebanese judicial committee tasked with following up on his case.

Judicial sources told The Daily Star that the committee’s members would continue to invite him to meet with them, in the hope that he eventually attends.

Shamoun’s release has only recently been made public, as he initially refused to make his situation known for fear of being subjected to violence at the hands of pro-Syrian elements.

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said Wednesday that his ministry was finalizing a draft decree to establish the Independent National Commission (INC), which will be tasked with investigating the fate of Lebanese missing persons.

Qortbawi said that the INC is taking into consideration the observations of the Shura Council, but stressed that it will be an independent and nongovernmental body. He added that its members would include judges as well as representatives of the Red Cross and the families of the missing.

“They will be tasked with gathering information about the missing Lebanese,” Qortbawi told The Daily Star.

Shamoun’s release has only recently been made public, as he initially refused to make his situation known for fear of being subjected to violence at the hands of pro-Syrian elements.

His release has given hope to the relatives of hundreds of other Lebanese who were kidnapped during the 1975-90 Civil War.

The Syrian government has long denied holding Lebanese prisoners of conscience, only to release a few every so often.

Ghazi Aad, founder and director of SOLIDE (Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile), voiced optimism over Qortbawi’s efforts, saying that establishing the INC is a very positive step toward revealing the fate of the missing Lebanese.

“We have been calling for establishing such a body for a long time, and we hope it will finally see the light of day,” Aad told The Daily Star.

He said that Shamoun’s release proves that reports denying the presence of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons are wrong.

“I met with Shamoun and talked to him. He mentioned five detainees we didn’t have in our 600 missing persons list, which means there might be even more Lebanese in Syrian jails.”

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Aug-30/186154-lebanese-ex-prisoner-in-syria-no-show-at-judicial-committee-meeting.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

The Daily Star - Firefighter injured by celebratory gunfire after prisoner’s release, August 30 2012

BEIRUT: A firefighter was wounded by celebratory gunfire after the Wednesday release on bail of a man accused of a June attack on a local television station, security sources told The Daily Star. Wissam Alaaeddine was released on LL2 million bail after the Beirut Accusatory Committee overturned a previous decision to deny his release.

Residents of Alaaeddine’s Beirut neighborhood, Khandaq al-Ghamiq, shot the celebratory rounds that accidentally wounded the firefighter.

The gunfire came during a Cabinet meeting, and its proximity to the Grand Serail put security forces there into a state of high alert.

Alaaeddine is accused of attempted murder as well as trying to burn down the Al-Jadeed building in Beirut. Two other suspects are still at large.

The attack came after the station ran an interview with Sheikh Ahmad Assir, who criticized Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Amal Movement leader and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Alaaeddine’s arrest prompted masked gunmen to close off several Beirut roads with burning tires.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Aug-30/186112-firefighter-injured-by-celebratory-gunfire-after-prisoners-release.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

The Daily Star - Decree for missing persons nearly finalized, justice minister says, August 30 2012

By Jana al-Hassan

BEIRUT: Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said Wednesday that his ministry was finalizing the draft decree to establish the Independent National Commission tasked with investigating the fate of Lebanese missing persons.

“Hopefully, the draft will be ready within the next few days [and I will] sign it and refer it to the Cabinet,” Qortbawi told The Daily Star.

Qortbawi said that the INC is taking into consideration the observations of the Shura Council, but stressed that it will be an independent and nongovernmental body. He added that its members would include judges as well as representatives of the Red Cross and the families of the missing.

“They will be tasked with gathering information about the missing Lebanese,” said Qortbawi.

Commenting on the release of Lebanese citizen Yaacoub Shamoun, who was released three months ago after having been imprisoned in Syria for 27 years, the minister said that the Lebanese Judicial Committee was following up on his case.

Shamoun’s release has only recently been made public, as he initially refused to make his situation known for fear of being subjected to violence at the hands of pro-Syrian elements.

Qortbawi said that the committee would want to hear from Shamoun whether he had come into contact with other Lebanese detainees in the Syrian prisons in which he had been held.

“We will meet with Shamoun Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the committee’s office in Beirut to hear about his imprisonment in Syria,” Judge George Rizk, one of the committee’s two members, told The Daily Star.

Rizk also indicated that the committee was seeking to determine whether any other Lebanese prisoners were still detained in Syria.

According to Rizk, the committee had been working on the case with its counterpart, the Syrian Judicial Committee, until the Syrian security situation deteriorated.

“We had a few names of missing [Lebanese] possibly detained in Syria, but the Syrian side continued to deny that it had any information on them,” said Rizk.

Ghazi Aad, founder and director of SOLIDE (Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile), voiced optimism over Qortbawi’s efforts, saying that establishing the INC is a very positive step toward revealing the fate of the missing Lebanese.

“We have been calling for establishing such a body for a long time, and we hope it will finally see the light of day,” Aad told The Daily Star.

He added that Shamoun’s release proves that reports denying the presence of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons are wrong.

“I met with Shamoun and talked to him. He mentioned five detainees we didn’t have in our 600 missing persons list, which means there might be even more Lebanese in Syrian jails.”

Shamoun also met with Metn MP and Kataeb party member Sami Gemayel in Bikfaya, Mount Lebanon, Wednesday afternoon, according to the National News Agency. Gemayel praised Shamoun and presented him with an award for his many sacrifices.

For his part, Shamoun said: “I am happy to return to my house and to the house of the Kataeb,” and thanked those in attendance for the appreciation and affection they showed him.

Shamoun’s release has given hope to the relatives of hundreds of other Lebanese who were kidnapped during the 1975-90 Civil War.

The Syrian government has long denied holding Lebanese prisoners of conscience, only to release a few every so often.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-30/186116-decree-for-missing-persons-nearly-finalized-justice-minister-says.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE

Naharnet - Charbel Denies Security Delegation Heading to Turkey over Abductee Swap, August 30 2012

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel denied on Thursday that a security delegation will travel to Ankara to close the deal on the exchange of abductees.

“I will head to Turkey when there is serious and positive information on the issue,” Charbel told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

His denial came after a security source told al-Liwaa newspaper that the delegation would head to Turkey on Thursday.

The source did not rule out the return of the ten Lebanese held hostage by Syrian rebels since May with the security delegation.

Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped on May 22 by the rebel Free Syrian Army in the northern province of Aleppo while on their way home from a pilgrimage to Iran.

One of the abductees, Hussein Ali Omar, was released by his kidnappers last week. He crossed the Syrian border to Turkey and returned to Beirut aboard a plane.

The remaining pilgrims are being held near the Syrian town of Aazaz, some 3 kilometers from the Turkish border.

But the abduction of Hassan al-Meqdad by armed rebels in Damascus this month led to a kidnapping spree of Syrians and Turkish citizens in Lebanon.

Al-Meqdad clan claimed to have kidnapped several Syrians and a Turkish man. It said it released several of the Syrians after it discovered they had no ties to the Free Syrian Army.

Another Turkish national has disappeared but no side has claimed responsibility for his kidnapping.

Charbel told al-Liwaa that contacts are ongoing with Turkish authorities since his last visit to Ankara along with General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim earlier in the month.

He said he was very optimistic over the case of the abducted Lebanese and hoped for good news in the coming days.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/51731

The Daily Star - Assir denies plans to disrupt Sadr ceremony, August 30 2012

By Mohammed Zaatari

SIDON, Lebanon: Ahead of the anniversary of Musa Sadr’s disappearance Friday, rumors persist in Sidon that controversial Sheikh Ahmad Assir might try to disrupt proceedings by blocking the southern road heading to Nabatieh, where the ceremony will take place.

There is talk in Sidon that Assir intends to hold a sit-in in the Hisbeh area, close to Ain al-Hilweh.

Assir said in an interview that people traveling to Nabatieh from across the country are safe, but added that he intends to send a peaceful message to the Shiite sect at Friday prayers.

Meanwhile, political and security meetings have taken place in Sidon to discuss how the presence of Assir’s followers might interfere with those travelling to Nabatieh for Friday’s commemoration of the Shiite imam, who disappeared during a visit to Libya in 1978.

The Amal Movement, of which Sadr was a founding member, has placed the final touches on the preparations for Friday’s ceremony – the 34th anniversary of the Imam’s disappearance.

The organizing committee says that thousands of seats have been arranged and that all logistical preparations have been completed, with the streets of Nabatieh decorated with victory arches and resistance banners.

Lebanese and Amal flags have been raised, along with photos of Sadr and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, pictured together on posters which read: “For every oppressor there is an end, and we are waiting.”

A Lebanese ministerial committee has been tasked with investigating Sadr’s disappearance.

Previously, Lebanese authorities in charge of the case had issued an arrest warrant for then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who died in last year’s Libyan revolution.

During the commemoration, Berri will comment on the situation in the country, as well as reveal what the committee and the Libyan authorities have discovered so far.

The head of the committee, Judge Hasan Shami, dismissed Tuesday claims that Sadr’s remains had been discovered, adding that he believed the imam and his two companions were being held in an unknown detention center in Libya.

Amal has refrained from raising any commemorative banners or posters in the city of Sidon itself to avoid creating tension.

One victory arch was raised at the southern entrance to Sidon, but was later unintentionally destroyed by a road accident.

Speaking to The Daily Star at his home in the village of Shwaliq, Assir said he was preparing further “peaceful and civilized” action, as no solution had yet been reached on the issue of non-state arms.

Assir and his supporters previously held a monthlong sit-in between July and August in protest of Hezbollah’s arms, during which the northern entrance to Sidon was blocked.

Assir denied that he had visited the Ain al-Hilweh camp in order to coordinate a new sit-in.

In response to rumors that he intends to hold a protest Friday to obstruct the movement of Sadr supporters, Assir said: “We are not thugs who would block the road. We are protesting the tyranny of weapons, because of repeated violations against us and the Lebanese people. That doesn’t mean we would right a wrong by committing further wrongs.”

“Our sit-in was peaceful and civilized, and the seaside road remained open,” he added.

During the sit-in, Assir’s supporters clashed with members of the Popular Nasserite Organization in a gun battle that left five people injured.

Assir describes the sit-in as being “designed to raise the issue of weapons, so that they can be discussed seriously. If it is not discussed at the dialogue table we will return to our peaceful and civilized sit-in – but as of yet we haven’t determined when and where.”

During Ramadan, Assir promised to take action after Eid al-Fitr.

The March 14 coalition have, to varying degrees, withdrawn from recent National Dialogue sessions over the omission of non-state arms from the agenda, but President Michel Sleiman has vowed the issue will be discussed at the next meeting, scheduled for Sept. 20.

Sources close to Assir have said that he has been warned by local security officials not to act recklessly, and that he would be prevented from carrying out a similarly disruptive sit-in again to prevent growing tension in Lebanon.

According to the sources, Assir has been warned that taking action Friday would be a “suicide attempt,” and he has been advised to keep any civil action within the walls of his mosque.

They added that Sidon MP Bahia Hariri had requested that Army commander General Jean Kahwagi prevent Assir from obstructing the passage of those heading to Nabatieh to participate in Friday’s ceremony.

Also Wednesday, Jamaa Islamiya official Bassam Hammoud visited Amal Movement’s office in Haret Saida, where he discussed ways to strengthen dialogue in Sidon.

Also discussed was how best to resolve any problems that might arise as a result of the growing tensions in the country.

Hammoud was also accompanied by Islamic forces from Ain al-Hilweh and a representative of the Salafist movement in the city.

After the meeting, Hammoud said: “The region and Lebanon are going through delicate times, which require from everyone high levels of national responsibility [in order] to prevent strife in the country.”

“There are already a number of areas across Lebanon which have been experiencing instability and chaos, including the bloody battles in north Lebanon, and the kidnappings in Beirut and the Bekaa.”

“All this is jeopardizing the stability and civil peace, which is already fragile in Lebanon,” he added.

In order to maintain Sidon as a “symbol of coexistence,” Hammoud said that “we met with our brothers in the Amal Movement and there was clear agreement that Sidon and its Hara and camps are one unit.

“Any violation against these places will be rejected and condemned, and the perpetrator will be held responsible.”

Sidon’s former mayor, Abdul-Rahman Bizri, issued a statement Wednesday rejecting the use of the city’s streets to express political opinions.

He stressed his “rejection that the city’s streets and squares be used to express personal opinions and to harm the interests of the people, by blocking roads and obstructing traffic. This will only harm Sidon, its heritage, and civil, social and political peace.”

Bizri added that the Lebanese government and the Interior Ministry were responsible for preventing a repetition of the crisis which Sidon experienced during Assir’s sit-in.

He added that the anniversary of Sadr’s disappearance was important to Sidon, as it was the capital of the south, and so also the capital of the resistance against Israel.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Aug-30/186117-assir-denies-plans-to-disrupt-sadr-ceremony.ashx#axzz253nNLWTE