Samaha Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Jail, Rifi Vows to 'Abolish' Military Court

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The Military Court on Wednesday sentenced former minister Michel Samaha to four and a half years of hard labor and stripped him of his civil rights, state-run National News Agency reported.

Samaha had been charged with transporting explosives in his car from Syria into Lebanon with the aim of staging bombings and assassinating Lebanese officials and religious figures at the behest of Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk.

The court said Samaha, arrested in August 2012, would be released at the end of this year taking into account time served and because the judicial year amounts to nine months in Lebanon.

He was found guilty of "having tried to carry out terrorist actions and for belonging to an armed group," it said.

Defense lawyer Rana Azoury, whose team argued that Samaha fell into a trap set by Lebanese intelligence services, said she would appeal against the ruling to the country's court of cassation.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi was quick to lash out at the court after the verdict fell short of his expectations.

“I announce to the Lebanese people the death of the Military Court and we will utilize all means to amend the law of military trials,” Rifi said.

“We won't be false witnesses on the disregard for Lebanese security,” he added.

Slamming the verdict against Samaha as “shameful,” the minister vowed to exert efforts to “abolish” the Military Court.

“We will not remain silent … because martyrs had fallen in the face of this conspiracy,” added Rifi, referring to slain Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Wissam al-Hassan, who was assassinated in October 2012, only months after Samaha's arrest.

Later on Wednesday, Rifi announced that he received a phone call from al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, who “condemned” the issued verdict and “inquired about the legal measures that can be taken to appeal this ethical and national scandal.”

Rifi also referred the Military Court's civilian counselor Judge Layla Raidy to judicial inspection in connection with the verdict, media reports said.

Meanwhile, State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud asked State Commissioner to the Military Court Saqr Saqr to launch proceedings to appeal the ruling against Samaha, NNA said.

Saqr immediately demanded the Military Court to hand him the file of the verdict in order to “review it and prepare for appealing it.”

For his part, al-Mustaqbal movement secretary general Ahmed Hariri said on Twitter: "After the issuance of the farce of a verdict against Michel Samaha, the Military Court should be 'sealed with red wax.'”

"May God have mercy on Wissam al-Hassan, as it is not fair for him to die and for the criminal to remain alive," Hariri added.

During Wednesday's session, the court heard the testimony of the witness Fares Barakat, who was Samaha's personal driver when the alleged plot was coordinated.

“Samaha has pleaded innocent,” his lawyer Sakhr al-Hashem announced after the session, noting that Lebanese security services informer “Milad Kfouri dragged him into the issue and convinced him that the arms (explosives) would be used on the border” between Lebanon and Syria.

He fell into Kfouri's “trap,” the lawyer added.

Hashem also pointed out that Samaha did not have any contact with Mamluk and that he coordinated the plot with a Syrian officer identified only by his first name, Adnan.

“Samaha only transported the explosives as a 'delivery driver',” the lawyer went on to say.

On April 20, Samaha had pleaded guilty to all charges against him, admitting in court that he had transported explosives from Syria for use in attacks in Lebanon.

But the former information minister said he had been the victim of entrapment because he was not aware that his co-conspirator was a Lebanese security services informer.

Samaha, who was also once an adviser to Syria's President Bashar Assad, made the surprise admission during the first session of his long-delayed trial before the Military Court.

"I received from the Syrians $170,000 inside a bag... and put it in the boot of my car with the explosives," he said.

He said he drove the money and explosives to Beirut in August 2012 and handed them over to a man named Milad Kfouri, who he was unaware was working with Lebanese intelligence.

"I fell into the trap laid by Milad Kfouri, who was tied to the intelligence services," Samaha said.

"True, I made a mistake, but I wanted to avoid sectarian strife."

Samaha's lawyer Rana Azoury said Samaha explained during the April 20 session that he had been "harassed" for four months by Kfouri to transport the explosives to be used in blasts on the Lebanese border.

The explosions were intended to force the closure of the border and stop the passage of Lebanese fighters who wanted to join rebels fighting against the Syrian regime, he was quoted as saying.

"Under Lebanese law, if you acted because of the encouragement of an agent provocateur, that is exculpatory and a legitimate self-defense," Azoury said in explaining Samaha's testimony.

Samaha's trial had been postponed multiple times because of the absence of Ali Mamluk, who remains in Syria, but after a judge separated the cases against the two men, a first trial session began on April 20.

The Lebanese judiciary has issued an arrest warrant for Mamluk and sent Syria a formal notification of the warrant and charges, but received no response.

Y.R.

Comments 33
Thumb justin 13 May 2015, 16:35

"I received from the Syrians $170,000 inside a bag... and put it in the boot of my car with the explosives," he said.

He said he drove the money and explosives to Beirut in August 2012 and handed them over to a man named Milad Kfouri, who he was unaware was working with Lebanese intelligence.

"I fell into the trap laid by Milad Kfouri, who was tied to the intelligence services," Samaha said.

fell into the trap, LOL. So, Milad Kfouri forced the Syrian intelligence to give you $170,000 and explosives which you gladly transported in your car. LOL LOL LOL

Thumb justin 13 May 2015, 16:35

"سكاي نيوز": مقتل 5 عناصر من "حزب الله" في اشتباكات مع الفصائل السورية المسلحة في القلمون.

Missing humble 13 May 2015, 16:46

Life imprisonnement

Thumb freedomarch 13 May 2015, 19:26

Life ..

Missing coolmec 13 May 2015, 16:48

No
Hang him in public

Thumb geha 13 May 2015, 17:05

raad should be tried with him because he defended him.

Thumb ex-fpm 13 May 2015, 17:16

Aoun said at the time of Smaha's arrest :"who said the explosives were from Syria"?
hehehehe!

Thumb freedomarch 13 May 2015, 19:27

Ohhh yes who said, fishermen stuff poor guy.

Thumb geha 13 May 2015, 20:22

what a joke! is this the sentence for this murderer?

Thumb EagleDawn 13 May 2015, 17:18

execute him along with flamethrower and mowaten in martyr's square.

Missing jabbour 13 May 2015, 17:56

This traitor gets 4.5 years as a sentence... Planning to kill tens of people if not more... Planning to kill politicians... Planning to execute syrian orders.
And on the other hand, you get caught with a joint and get 5 years prison time...or u get caught helping israel just by giving them information and u get the max penalty!
Balad maskhara... We r ruled by incompetent people... 2irtot zi3ran 7ekmeen el balad...
People should riot and ask for justice!

Missing helicopter 13 May 2015, 18:34

Compare it to this fresh from world news report:
North Korea has reportedly executed its Defense Minister for falling asleep at a military event that was attended by the country’s leader Kim Jong
I agree with you, baladna sar maskhara.

Thumb Maxx 13 May 2015, 19:46

Hah! I was just about to mention the exact same thing. You get caught with an ounce of hash ("nus ribi3" - 25 grams) and you get seven years. You get caught with god knows how many kilos of explosives, and it's just four-and-a-half years. Hmmm. Next time I get caught with hash, I'll just pretend it's C4. ;)

Thumb marcus 13 May 2015, 17:59

I just read that Samaha got 4 and half years jail verdict. If this is true the whole lebanese justice should be dissolved and let the people manage the justice system. If a guy carries a pistol without license he is jailed for 15-20 years but if you are a traitor and carry explosives to blow up religious and political figures you only get 4 years in jail.

Thumb marcus 13 May 2015, 18:01

أعلن موكل الوزير السابق ميشال سماحة ان المحكمة العسكرية حكمت على سماحة بالسجن 4 أعوام ونصف العام وجردته من حقوقه المدنية والسياسية. وبحسب وكليه فقد تبقى اقل من عام ليخرج سماحة من السجن.

Thumb galaxy 13 May 2015, 18:08

in a few months he will be back on al manar talking about patriotism, the resistance, and bashar assad like a hero.

Thumb ex-fpm 13 May 2015, 18:04

this the same military court that jails people for life for "suspicion" of fighting in Syria or belonging to a "terrorist" group. hehehe!

Thumb freedomarch 13 May 2015, 20:05

This is my point too, Shameful.

Thumb shab 13 May 2015, 18:04

The new M8 saint

Thumb lebanon_first 13 May 2015, 18:33

how can you strip him of civil rights? what civil rights are strippable? he cant get a driver's permit?

Thumb warrior 13 May 2015, 19:05

voting rights and passport. He has French passport anyway.

Thumb warrior 13 May 2015, 18:34

those traitor judges in the military court should be jailed themselves.

Thumb freedomarch 13 May 2015, 19:43

I don't think in the current Lebanese system contain less dangerous ctimes.Most important are terror crimes and when confession is involved it means a lot. So sorry, but all other terror groups will ask for equality. A clear indication of who is controlling the institutions.

Thumb liberty 13 May 2015, 19:45

Lebanon needs a war to cleanse itself of these filth institutions. Everyday I read the military court sentenced to death a person for possession of explosives etc etc,. But this thug gets 4 years and Karam gets 3 years?!

Thumb liberty 13 May 2015, 19:46

this filth called flamethrower and his 100 aliases would tell you smeiha was framed. Sure, those who framed him worked with the Syrian intelligence and gave him money and explosives. He was just carrying orders.

Thumb thepatriot 13 May 2015, 21:33

What The F...!!!!!

Missing peace 13 May 2015, 22:28

they were pardonned by your friend... lahoud....

Missing canadianadam 14 May 2015, 02:30

Absolutely amazing that there is no FT, no Mystic or Mowaten response here.

Thumb westernlebanese 14 May 2015, 08:18

Bashar al assad will probably have him killed before he gets out of jail, criminals all of them! yalla inshallah soon we will see a L

Thumb westernlebanese 14 May 2015, 08:19

soon we will see a Lebanon without all this garbage*

Thumb thepatriot 14 May 2015, 09:01

Tribunals like this one are the reason why we need the STL... a Lebanese court cannot be trusted... tfeh!

Thumb thepatriot 15 May 2015, 10:14

@hocus
I know that in your book, murderers and traitors get away with it... not in mine!

Missing jayjay 14 May 2015, 09:40

what does qaeda sympathizers have to do with this sentence...you are an idiot and sooooo blinded...its laughable, yet sad