First Lebanese Released by UAE Arrives in Beirut

Lebanese national Zeid al-Diqa arrived Sunday in Beirut after being released by the UAE following a mediation by General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

Al-Diqa, who is one of 11 Lebanese detainees that the UAE has agreed to release, arrived aboard a Lebanese plane belonging to national carrier Middle East Airlines, the National News Agency said.

LBCI TV has identified the other detainees who will be released as Mohammed al-Durr, Nader Khalil, Mohammed Husseini, Hussein Zreiq, Maher al-Zein, Zaher Khalil, Zaher al-Zein, Hassan Zreiq and Ali Mukhadder.

In an interview with al-Hurra television, Ibrahim had revealed that he had been in contact with Emirati officials over this file for the past two years.

The detainees, most of whom belong to the Shiite sect, had been accused of forming a Hizbullah cell in the Gulf country.