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Hammoud Receives Repatriation Request as Iran to Participate in al-Majed's Autopsy

Acting General Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud received on Tuesday a request from the Saudi Embassy, saying the brother of a dead al-Qaida-linked group leader wants to repatriate his body.

Saudi national Majed al-Majed died in Lebanon on Saturday while undergoing treatment at the central military hospital after his health deteriorated, the army said.

But sources have said that al-Majed died after suffering kidney failure.

Later on Tuesday, sources informed LBCI television that Hammoud has appointed a committee of forensic doctors to examine the body of al-Majed.

"Forensic doctors started examining his body and will soon issue a report detailing the conditions that surrounded his death," LBCI added.

Al-Majed was detained in December and had been held at a secret location.

He was the purported commander of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades — a militant group with al-Qaida links — and one of the 85 most-wanted individuals in Saudi Arabia.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that a delegation is expected to arrive in Lebanon soon to participate in al-Majed's autopsy.

"Over the coming days a delegation would be dispatched to Beirut to participate in the autopsy and investigate the circumstances of al-Majed's death," Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said.

He pointed out that the delegation will be comprised of judicial and Foreign Ministry officials.

The brigades have claimed responsibility for attacks throughout the region, including the 2010 bombing of a Japanese oil tanker in the Persian Gulf and several rocket strikes from Lebanon into Israel.

The most recent attack claimed by the group was the deadly twin suicide bombing in November that targeted the Iranian embassy in Beirut's southern suburbs.


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