BEIRUT: The trials of Islamist prisoners held in Lebanon's Roumieh prison should be held with any further delay, MP Walid Jumblatt said, while ruling out any deal to trade the detainees for soldiers and policemen being held by militants.
Jumblatt said Lebanon would have been spared a crisis if judicial authorities had not delayed the trials of these prisoners.
“Why the procrastination and reluctance to conduct a fair trial, taking into account the political circumstances that are completely different [now] after ISIS reached the border,” he told As-Safir.
Jumblatt, however, rejected any swap deal with the Islamist inmates over fears this “could lead to chaos and undermine Army morale.”
Jihadists are holding at least 24 soldiers and policemen captive after the Nusra Front released five hostages Sunday.
The security personnel – from the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces – have been held captive by Nusra Front and ISIS since last month’s deadly gunbattles with the Lebanese Army in Arsal.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam has announced the formation of an emergency cell to tackle the hostages’ issue. The cell, made up of senior security and political officials, held its first meeting Sunday.
Political sources, speaking to The Daily Star, described as “very significant” the meeting held in the presence of Magistrate Jean Fahed, the head of the Higher Judicial Council who oversees the trials of Islamist prisoners in Roumieh.
Fahed’s attendance, the source said, indicated the government’s willingness to seek out his opinion, as the release of the prisoners tops the militants’ demands.
During the meeting, Fahed said the trials were underway, and 22,000 out of the 36,000 total charges pressed against Islamist detainees had been processed, with some acquittals.
The sources said discussions focused on finding a “legal exit” in which Lebanon could release some Roumieh prisoners inconspicuously, in a manner that would not suggest a connection with the case of the captured soldiers.
The officials were expressly looking into releasing detainees who had not been charged, the sources said.
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