Interior Minister Marwan
Charbel said on Tuesday that Shadi al-Mawlawi’s release was “a correct judicial
decision, and not the result of political pressure.”
“His contravention was not
serious, I knew he was helping the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. If he was
arrested for helping the refugees, then many Lebanese would be punished for the
same [accusation],” Charbel said during a press conference.
He also noted that the
Qatari national Abdel Aziz Attieh, who was arrested along with Mawlawi, was
released and handed over to his country “because he suffered health problems.”
However, Charbel said that
the Jordanian national arrested along with Mawlawi was still in detention.
The interior minister
called for “a political state of emergency,” and urged the cabinet and the
parliament to convene to decide on the means to resolve the crisis.
“If [the cabinet or
parliament] decided to impose a military state of emergency, let them do so.
The security forces are not willing to become a scapegoat in this issue,” he
added.
Mawlawi, whose arrest
sparked deadly sectarian clashes in Lebanon between pro- and anti-Syrian
groups, wasreleased on bail Tuesday, a judicial official said.
The official said military judge Nabil Wehbe ordered Shadi al-Mawlawi released on bail of 500,000 Lebanese pounds ($333).
The official said military judge Nabil Wehbe ordered Shadi al-Mawlawi released on bail of 500,000 Lebanese pounds ($333).
Mawlawi's arrest on May 12
on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization sparked demonstrations and
deadly sectarian clashes in the northern port city of Tripoli.
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