Lebanese lawyers stop attending trial sessions for three days

The Lebanese Lawyers' Syndicate in Beirut decided not to attend trials in any courts during the upcoming three days, while the Lawyers' Syndicate in Tripoli decided to carry out this step for one day. The Jesuit University and the American University in Beirut witnessed student strikes.

A great number of the members of the Lebanese parliament and many dignitaries criticized the arrest of supporters of General Michel Aoun, 33 of whom had been referred to the public prosecutor after participating in demonstrations yesterday in front of the MTV building. The Lebanese minister of information had barred MTV from broadcasting an interview with Aoun.

The council of the Lawyers' Syndicate held an exceptional meeting which was attended by the former chairmen of the Syndicate, Essam Al Khory, Raymon Eid, Samir Al Lama'a, and Michele Khatar. The meeting discussed the arrest of the university students which had been accompanied with unnecessary repression.

The council decided unanimously not to attend any trial in the courts and to stop all judicial activities for three days in condemnation of the recent actions that affected public and personal freedoms which are safeguarded by the constitution.