Charges Filed against 21 Suspects over Qabrshmoun Incident

Assistant State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem on Wednesday filed charges against 21 suspects in connection with the deadly Qabrshmoun incident.

Among those charged only four are in custody according to the National News Agency.

The suspects have been charged with “opening fire from unlicensed assault weapons and murdering and attempting to murder civilians.”

Ghanem referred the file and the detainees to Acting First Examining Military Magistrate Fadi Sawwan, asking for the interrogation of the defendants and the issuance of the necessary judicial writs against them.

Two bodyguards of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib were killed in the incident and a third was injured. The minister escaped unharmed as a Progressive Socialist Party supporter was also wounded.

Gharib and his party have described the incident as an “ambush” and an “assassination attempt” while the PSP has accused the minister’s bodyguards of forcing their way and opening fire on protesters.