BEIRUT: U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Derek Plumbly met Thursday with the families of 11 Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped
in Syria and said he would convey their concerns to the United Nations.
A statement from his office said the families
briefed Plumbly “on their concerns, which he undertook to relay to United
Nations Headquarters.”
During the meeting, the statement added,
Plumbly “recalled the expressions of concern by the United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan about the
abduction.”
According to the statement, Plumbly made clear
his position on the “importance of the release of the hostages and their safe
return without further delay.”
The statement also said the U.N. would be in
contact with the Lebanese authorities and other concerned parties following
Plumbly’s meeting with the hostages’ families.
The Lebanese men, all Shiites, were kidnapped
on May 22 after crossing into Syria from Turkey. They were on their way back to
Lebanon following a pilgrimage to Shiite shrines in Iran.
A previously unknown group calling itself
"Syrian Rebels in Aleppo" claimed responsibility for the abduction,
saying five of the hostages were members of Hezbollah. Hezbollah and their
families deny the claim.
The group demanded that Hezbollah leader
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah apologize for comments he had made in support of Syrian President
Bashar Assad.
Nasrallah, a staunch ally
of Assad, said the abduction would not change Hezbollah’s stance on the events
in Syria.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Aug-02/183156-plumbly-to-relay-lebanese-hostages-families-concerns-to-un.ashx#axzz22OD0d0aY
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