Lebanese army arrest two of the Fatah leaders
Lebanon-Palestine, Politics, 11/25/1999

Lebanese security sources said on Tuesday that the Lebanese army has arrested the secretary of the Fatah movement in Sidon Muhammad Abdul Qader 50 known as Khaled Aref and the movement's official in the Bekaa Khaled al-Shayeb 37 at the entrance of al-Rashedeyah camp for the Palestinian refugees near Tyre.

The Lebanese security sources said that the Lebanese court sentenced Khaled Aref for 20 years imprisonment in 1997 in an explosives case in Ein al-Helweh that resulted in killing two persons, adding that Khaled al-Shayeb was also sentenced to death in 1994 after he took part in killing two persons.

Lebanese judicial sources told the Lebanese daily al-Dafir that there is also investigation against Aref because he kidnapped a girl in 1993 and that there are two sentences released by him in the South (of Lebanon) stating execution penalty against al-Shayeb over killing each of Barea al-Halabi and Mahmoud al-Demasi on 24 February, 1994 in Sidon.

Meantime, the government representative at the military court judge Nasri Lahoud has denied news that sentences were released against the two said men by the military court as reported by foreign news agency. He stressed that sentences against the two men were only released by the criminal court in the South.

It was noted that Ein al-Helweh camp stayed calm on Wednesday despite the spread of the news of arresting Aref and al-Shayeb.

Fatah movement sources said the arrest was made at 2 p.m. on Wednesday while the two men were heading to al-Rashedeyah camp, for a date with the secretary of the Fatah movement Sultan Abu al-Einin ( who is sentenced to death in absentia, after their care was stopped by the Lebanese army at the entrance of camp.

Fatah sources avoided talking about the arrest news and Abu al-Einin refused to comment on it.

While Palestinian circles inside the camp in Ein al-Helweh questioned the timing of this judicial attack against Fatah cadres, Lebanese political circles said that implementing judicial sentences does not at all targeting the Palestinians, noting that the law should be applied on all, Lebanese and Palestinians alike.

Following a meeting for the Lebanese cabinet on Wednesday, Lebanese Minister of Information Anwar al-Khalil said we will apply the laws on our Palestinian brothers exactly the same it is applied on the Lebanese. He added we will not permit to use the position of the state concerning the Arab cause by certain sides who want to drag the Palestinian people into creating a state of horror and concerns.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanese president's address on independence day   (11/24/1999)
  Abu al-Einin congratulates Lebanese leaders on the national day   (11/23/1999)
  Lebanese premier says measures in Palestinian camps in Lebanon are for security purposes   (11/22/1999)

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