Report: Pilgrims to be Released after Mediators Overcome 1 Last Obstacle
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Nine Lebanese pilgrims held by rebels in Syria since May last year could be released soon as part of a prisoner exchange after one last obstacle is removed, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.
The abductees are now in the custody of a Syrian opposition faction with close ties to Turkey, it said.
According to An Nahar, the prisoner swap includes the release of several detainees, including women, held by the Syrian regime and Lebanon's release of Islamists and Syrian opposition activists that are allegedly held in the country.
The daily hinted that a decision by Lebanon not to deport defected Syrian army lieutenant Mohammed Tlas could be linked to the deal struck with the rebels to release the pilgrims.
It said the Syrian opposition has “appreciated” President Michel Suleiman's latest call not to deport him to his home country.
Free Syrian Army official Louay al-Meqdad told An Nahar that the case of the pilgrims is “heading towards a happy ending.”
“The involved parties, including Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have expressed willingness to resolve it,” he said but stressed there is one last obstacle preventing their release.
The three countries are staunch supporters of the rebellion against the regime of President Bashar Assad that erupted in March 2011.
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped last May on their way home from Iran. Two of them were released in August and September.
But the remaining nine are reportedly held in the Aleppo town of Aazaz near the Turkish border.
The Central News Agency has reported that a Lebanese security delegation headed to Turkey on Saturday to follow up the case. It said Interior Minister Marwan Charbel could head to Ankara if positive signs of the pilgrims' release appear.
The first major prisoner swap in Syria's conflict took place last month with rebels freeing 48 Iranians in exchange for more than 2,000 regime detainees in a deal with Damascus reportedly brokered by Turkey, Qatar and Iran.
The prisoner swap reportedly involved 48 Iranian men abducted by rebels in Damascus in early August and 2,130 prisoners of Syrian and other nationalities held in various cities by regime forces loyal to Assad.
12 February 2013, 08:38
11
One can only hope for a happy ending to this untorelable situation.
12 February 2013, 08:51
14
I wonder who is holding these Syrians here in Lebanon and under whose authority?
12 February 2013, 09:28
12
:)
state within the state, and they talkabout what happened in arsal....
is this not a flagrant aggression against the state in its foundation and the armed forces?
12 February 2013, 11:38
10
i disagree with this, nahar ar bared jihadist have Lebanese blood on their hands, why are they blackmailing Lebanon to release these terrorists!!
12 February 2013, 12:42
10
These pilgrims were innocent people that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, no matter what, they should not have been abducted to start with, let alone now being released after they have passed through hell away from their loved ones. In the Arab world, we should be more rational which means that in times of wars we should target the enemy head-on, not nab innocent people in order to achieve something we couldn’t do. These pilgrims should be released immediately for the sake of their kids. All religions advocate this and therefore this is what should happen without any predetermined conditions.
