Lebanese Prime Minister
Najib Miqati said Thursday that the arrest of former Information Minister
Michel Samaha was not related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
The STL is probing the killing
of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri. Four Hezbollah members were indicted
in the assassination, but Hezbollah, which is mainly backed by Damascus and
Tehran, has strongly denied the charges and refused to cooperate with the
tribunal.
Acting General Prosecutor
Judge Samir Hammoud issued an arrest warrant in Samaha’s name for involvement
in “security incidents.” These “incidents” are in no way related to the STL,
head of the Journalists Union, Elias Aoun, quoted Miqati as saying after a
meeting between the premier and the Journalists Union council.
Lebanese security forces on
Thursday arrested Samaha, who is considered to be close to Syria's embattled regime,
a senior official said.
Regarding the issue of
Lebanese Shiite pilgrims kidnapped in Aleppo, Miqati was quoted by Elias Aoun
as saying that “the issue took political dimensions that [revealed] a campaign
against the cabinet.”
“It seems the abductees are
being used as hostages for political purposes ,” Aoun also quoted Miqati as
saying.
In May, 11 Shiite pilgrims
were abducted in Syria’s Aleppo while returning from a pilgrimage in Iran.
Later in the month, a previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Syrian
Revolutionaries—Aleppo Province" said that it was holding the group, while the Free Syrian Army had
repeatedly denied its involvement in the abduction.
The families of the
kidnapped men have repeatedly accused the Lebanese government of inaction in
the case. On Monday, they shortly blocked Beirut’s airport road and later on
Tuesday protested in front of the Turkish embassy.
They have also threatened
to escalate their protests if their demands to address the issue are not met.
Turning to the upcoming parliamentary elections, Miqati said that they
will take place on time.http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=426370#
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