Lebanon Hails Court Verdict on 1999 Killing of 4 Judges

Lebanese officials hailed on Saturday a court verdict indicting the accused in the 1999 assassination of four judges in the southern city of Sidon.

President Michel Aoun said: “Justice has been served even if it is late,” said Aoun, as he called for amendments in the Code of Criminal Procedure in order to prevent any delay in future proceedings.

In 1999, four judges were assassinated inside the South Lebanon Criminal Court at the old Justice Palace in Sidon.

“Justice is served even after a while. A salute to the Judicial Council which issued its verdict in the assassination case of the four judges. Our sincere solidarity today is with the families of the martyrs,” said Prime Minister Saad Hariri in a tweet.

Justice Minister Albert Serhan said: “Justice is taking its course... the decision of the Judicial Council is good news for all, judges and citizens.”

On Friday, the Judicial Council led by Judge Jean Fahed inflicted the death penalty on Ahmed Abdulkarim aka Abu Mehjen. Five of his companions were sentenced to death in absentia for hiding in the southern Palestinian camp of Ain al-Hilweh camp, the National News Agency said.

Wissam Hussein Tuhaibesh, Palestinian, was acquitted for insufficient evidence and released immediately unless convicted of another crime, NNA added.