Military Court of Appeals Approves Release of Tarras
The Military Court of Appeals on Wednesday approved the release of Sheikh Bassam al-Tarras from prison, state-run National News Agency reported.
NNA said the court, under the chairmanship of Judge Tany Lattouf, approved a ruling by First Military Examining Magistrate Riad Abou Ghida on Tarras' release, dismissing an appeal by State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr.
Tarras later arrived at Dar al-Fatwa to thank Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan for the efforts he exerted to secure his release.
"The file of my client has nothing to do with the Ksara bombing and today a ruling on releasing Dr. Tarras on bail was issued and investigations will continue," Tarras' lawyer said after the meeting.
Saqr had in mid-October charged Tarras with communicating with the extremist Islamic State group.
The cleric was re-arrested on October 5 after a brief detention in connection with the August 31 Ksara bombing.
His second arrest was not linked to the bomb attack, al-Joumhouria newspaper quoted State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud as saying in early October.
On September 15, the General Directorate of General Security said Tarras was briefly held in connection with the August 31 bombing over a meeting he held in Turkey with the attack's mastermind.
The arrest of Tarras, a former mufti of the Rashaya area, created an uproar in Lebanon's Sunni community, especially among the ranks of the influential Muslim Scholars Committee and some Islamic activists.
The Ksara bomb attack left an elderly woman dead and at least ten people wounded.
The explosive device that was placed at a busy roundabout was targeted against AMAL Movement convoys that were carrying supporters to a rally commemorating Imam Moussa al-Sadr in the southern city of Tyre, AMAL leader and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said a day after the attack.
Other vehicles were hit by the blast shortly after AMAL buses passed by the roundabout, reports said.
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