Israel releases two Lebanese detainees from Askalan prison
Lebanon, Politics, 1/14/2000

Following 13 years in prison, the Israeli occupation authorities on Thursday released two Lebanese citizens from one of its prisons in Askalan after they completed their imprisonment sentence taken by an Israeli military court.

In statements quoted on Thursday by the Israeli Radio, Israeli military sources indicated that there is no connection between the release of the two Lebanese citizens from Askalan prison on Thursday and the release of several Lebanese citizens from al-Khiam prison, a process which was made earlier, SANA reported.

Further news reports from south Lebanon said the Israeli forces and the pro-Israel South Lebanon Army militia on Thursday released, through the International Committee of the Red Cross, some 27 Lebanese detainees, two of them from the Israeli prison in Askalan and the others, including three women, from al-Khiam prison.

After waiting for 10 days and for the second time within 17 days, Israel and its SLA released 25 Lebanese detainees from al-Khiam prison. Seven of the freed citizens arrived at Kafer Tabniet crossing and then were taken to the liberated areas of south Lebanon in the cars of the ICRC. 18 other released prisoners stayed in their villages on the border strip.

The liberated prisoners spent detention periods of between seven months and six years.

While the SLA press office considered the release of the prisoners and the detainees to be a "humanitarian initiative on the occasion of the new year and Eid al-Fitr," the Lebanese follow-up committee in backing the question of the detainees said that the release of the 27 prisoners came as a result of "an international pressure campaign against Israel."

The committee said, "Some of the released detainees were jailed only for few months, with the exception of few of them who suffer difficult health conditions."

The committee added that some of the released detainees "are almost dying and lost their sight in the detention camp like Hussein Akeel, and the old man Ali Ghanawi, Riyadh Kalakesh and the pregnant woman Najwa Samahat and many teenagers," adding that there are prisoners who were jailed for 15 years and have not yet been released. It said they are suffering very bad conditions, including Suleiman Ramadan, Najib Turmous, Samir Qasem, Ali Fhazi al-Saghir and Teiser Chaaban.

However, Hizbullah will respond to this Israeli initiative by releasing two SLA prisoners, Assad Turmous from Sallouta and Najm Elias Habib, from East Sidon.

Previous Stories:
  Amnesty International calls for releasing Lebanese detainees   (1/12/2000)
  Israel delays release of Lebanese prisoners   (1/11/2000)
  Israeli human rights organization condemns Israel's practices in S. Lebanon   (1/11/2000)

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