BEIRUT: Family members and friends of the 11
Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria rallied outside the Qatari embassy Friday,
demanding increased efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.
A group of about 50 women and children
demonstrated outside the embassy in Beirut’s Ain al-Tineh neighborhood, a short
distance from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Wednesday the
government would take “brave steps” to secure the release of the men before Eid
al-Fitr, which is expected to begin around Aug. 20.
Nevertheless, a spokesman for the hostages’
families has warned that Turkish nationals in Lebanon could face the same fate
as the Lebanese hostages if the country does not ramp up efforts to bring them
home.
The Shiite hostages were kidnapped after
crossing into Syria from Turkey on May 22. They were on their way back to
Lebanon from a pilgrimage to Shiite holy sites in Iran. The captors set the
women and elderly men free shortly after abducting them.
The prime minister also
said that Turkey continues to work on securing the release of the hostages but
that they are still inside Syrian territory.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Aug-10/184138-lebanese-hostages-families-rally-outside-qatari-embassy.ashx#axzz22xdpMYwe
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