Lebanese government urged to work for releasing Lebanese detainees in Iraq

Families of Lebanese prisoners in Iraq on Sunday appealed to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud to "carry out an effective role in making necessary contacts and continued efforts and to release them."

These families added in a message addressed on their behalf to President Lahoud by Lebanese parliament member Abdullah Qasir (Hizbullah) that those detainees "are since years living far away from their families and children." The message expressed hope that President Lahoud's efforts will succeed in serving this cause, noting that none of the detainees had committed a crime or ever been tried.

The message stated the names of some 13 detainees. They are: Sheikh Ali Hussein Jafaar (b. 1946), Sheikh Ibrahim Ali Jaffar (b. 1974), Sheikh Taleb al-Khalil (b. 1942), Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Mufid al-Faqeh (b. 1960), Sheikh Muhammad Sadeq Rida al-Faqeh (b. 1962) and Sheikh Muhammad Hadi al-Faqeh (b. 1966), who were all arrested in 1990. Muhammad Ahmad al-Khalili was arrested in 1990, Subhe Khalil Haidar was arrested in 1990 in Kuwait, Hussein Abdul Halim Shueib (b. 1959) was arrested in 1980 in Iraq, Ahmad Harb (b. 1961) was arrested in 1991 in Kuwait, Nasif Ibrahim Duheini (b. 1959) was arrested in 1980 in Iraq and Jalal Muhammad al-Hadi (b. 1968) " and Iqbal Khalil Jalloul were arrested in 1986 in Iraq.