Friday 2 November 2012

Duo in Lebanon still waiting for a decision


The two Malaysian men held by Lebanese authorities over alleged links to the al-Qaeda terrorist movement are still awaiting decision from the Military Tribunal in Beirut.

Malaysian Ambassador to Lebanon Ilango Karuppannan said the tribunal, presided over by three judges, was studying the case before making a decision.

“The decision will not be announced so soon. It takes time. We have to wait,” he said yesterday.

Muhamad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal, 21, and Razif Mohd Ariff, 30, were charged before the tribunal with links to al-Qaeda.

Yesterday, the two men, represented by four lawyers, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The two Malaysian detainees are being held at a military detention centre in Beirut pending the outcome of the tribunal,

“They are in good health,” he added.

Ilango said the decision by the tribunal would determine whether the two men would be brought to a civilian court.

“If there is insufficient evidence to implicate the two men, they will be freed. But if the judges find the case to have a strong basis, then they will be tried at a normal court,” he added.

Razif and Muhamad Razin were detained on Oct 18 after they were suspected to have been trained as suicide bombers and had links to al-Qaeda.

Ilango said the embassy, as well as family members of the two men, who had been in Lebanon since Sunday, were waiting for the lawyers to brief them on the latest development.

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