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Lebanese man condemned to death for witchcraft by a Saudi court was not beheaded
Sabat, a 49-year-old father of five, made predictions on an Arab satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut.
Lebanese man condemned to death for witchcraft by a Saudi court was not beheaded Friday as had been expected, his lawyer said.
Attorney May al-Khansa said Lebanon’s justice minister told her that her client, Ali Sabat, would not be executed in Saudi Arabia on Friday – the day executions are typically carried out in the kingdom.
She said it is still unclear whether the beheading had been waived or only postponed.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials, and Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar was not available for comment.
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Sfeir urges Lebanese to embrace their country, president
Lebanese Christians across the country marked the religious Good Friday holiday with morning masses.
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir led prayers in the outer courtyard of the Patriarchate’s residence in Bkirki, along with Bishop Roland Abou Jawdeh, Bishop Samir Mazloum and several other religious figures. The Good Friday ceremony, which commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, was also attended by a number of political figures.
In his sermon, Sfeir said that many Lebanese citizens had been complaining about a deterioration in security, noting that burglaries and other criminal activities were on the increase.
“Gangs are breaking into houses, aiming weapons, killing and smuggling illegal products for material benefits,” Sfeir said.
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Leaders praise Nasrallah's 'calm' response to STL questioning
The remarks made by Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Wednesday evening prompted conflicting reactions from different political figures.
Lebanon First bloc MP Oqab Saqr spoke Thursday to reporters following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. “Sfeir was impressed by the pragmatism and calmness of Nasrallah’s remarks and said that the country is now moving in a better track toward improving and fortifying its status,” Saqr said.
Speaking to Ash-Sharq radio station, Education and Higher Education Minister Hassan Mneimneh described Nasrallah’s remarks as “acceptable and natural,” adding that allowing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to work without any advanced judgments will enable it to issue its verdict which “we should all accept.”
In an interview on Hizbullah-owned Al-Manar channel Wednesday night, Nasrallah confirmed rumors and media leaks claiming weeks ago that the STL questioned a number of Hizbullah members. “They called in 12 of our brothers in recent weeks, and I believe they are now in the process of summoning six more,” Nasrallah said adding that his party was not currently in the tribunal’s line of fire.
However, Nasrallah doubted the credibility of the STL, saying the resistance would continue to cooperate with investigators but only if the court’s work proved to be on the right track away from politicization attempts.
He stressed the investigation committee could regain trust and restore its image by halting media leaks and trying witnesses who committed perjury.
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Debate persists over Lebanon-US aid program
Debate continued between Hizbullah and parliamentary majority figures over the Lebanese-US donation program.
But Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah’s call Wednesday to review the flaws in the agreement away from political controversies was met with positive reactions by parliamentary majority figures.
The US donation program to the Internal Security Forces stated the Lebanese government was responsible for excluding members of organizations listed as terrorist groups or related to those from the program.
The US list of terror groups includes Hizbullah along with Hamas and Al-Qaeda.
Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Nawaf Moussawi said the Lebanese-US agreement guaranteed the US the right to interfere in Lebanese security institutions.
“Claims that Hizbullah and the opposition are attacking the security agreement due to fears that members of the party will be questioned by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon [is unfounded],” Moussawi said. |
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Jumblatt: Syria ties will be based on suporting resistance
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed that the strategic foundations of his future relation with Syria will be based on support to the Lebanese resistance and the liberation of Lebanese occupied territories. "I stressed with President Bashar Assad on several principles and we agreed on a political track that starts with backing the resistance.” |
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Jumblatt-Assad meet reflects shifting trends
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt’s visit to Damascus did not represent a dramatic development, but simply a confirmation of major trends shaping domestic and regional politics: Jumblatt’s defection from the March 14 alliance toward a centrist stance and Syria’s return to international prominence, a number of analysts told The Daily Star.
The Druze leader announced last August that he was leaving the March 14 camp, and since then he has performed a ritual of public apologies and reconciliations paving his return to Damascus, all of which made Wednesday’s sojourn somewhat anticlimactic, said Karam Karam, program director at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies.
Despite Jumblatt’s willingness to do whatever necessary to ingratiate himself again with Syria, President Bashar Assad still appears not to be welcoming Jumblatt back into the ranks of Damascus’ allies, said Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut. The visit occurred as somewhat of a surprise on Wednesday, with Jumblatt receiving the summons from Assad Tuesday night, Khashan added.
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