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
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