| Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah has urged for release of four detained former security chief generals who are accused of involvement in the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri in 2005, An-Nahar daily reported Saturday.
A Hezbollah statement, released Friday night, was quoted as saying that the continued arrest of the four Lebanese generals is a "political issue" and "illegal."
The statement called on examining magistrate Saqr Saqr to " listen to his continence,and refuse to be succumbed to political pressure," urging him to free the generals "as soon as possible."
Hezbollah believes that the generals were arrested for political reasons since they were in charge of the security coordination with Syrian troops in Lebanon before the troops pulled out in 2005 after Hariri's murder.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's second in command, however, promised the wives of the four generals with "serious moves" towards the release of the jailed officers.
The examining magistrate denied a request Friday to release the detained generals. It was the last chance to free them before they are handed over to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) which starts functioning Sunday in Hague.
Three out of the total seven arrested suspects were released on Wednesday without any justification, which has raised hope that the four generals would be released as well, but the request was turned down.
Hariri was killed in a car bomb in Beirut on Feb. 14, 2005. Syria was accused of involvement in the assassination, but Damascus denies the charges. |
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