The families of the 11
Lebanese Shiite pilgrims who were abducted in Syria on Monday blocked the
airport road to protest the Lebanese state's failure to secure their release.
State-run National News
Agency said the protesters used their cars and motorcycles to block the highway
in both directions.
Sheikh Abbas Zgheib,
spokesman for the campaign demanding their release, said “this action is the
first step and it might be escalated should the state fail to address this
issue.”
“The sit-in will remain
in place until we see the officials’ reaction,” he added.
LBCI television said the
protesters prevented a U.N. bus from reaching the Beirut Rafik Hariri
International Airport.
Earlier on Monday,
al-Jadeed television said the abductees telephoned their families and reassured
them that they are in good health.
For its part, LBCI said
the abductees told their families that only former premier Saad Hariri and MP
Oqab Saqr are following their case.
In a phone interview
with al-Jadeed, abductee Abbas Shoaib said: “If we don't have a president, a
premier or a speaker, let our people demand our release.”
Shoaib denied media
reports that two of the hostages had fled the location of their imprisonment
when it came under shelling on Saturday.
“The Syrian people are
the most generous people,” he added.
Abu Ibrahim, the leader
of the group that abducted the 11 pilgrims, told LBCI that “the abductees enjoy
total freedom and we did not come under any attack.”
Another abductee, Ali
Zgheib, told LBCI: “We were hoping the president would demand our release, but
unfortunately we have not heard a single word since three months. Abu Ibrahim
is our brother and we would be honored to be granted the Syrian nationality by
the Syrian revolutionaries.”http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/49152
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