Detained Activist Accused of Dealing with Israel
A Lebanese political activist who was detained last week was charged on Monday with collaborating with Israel and referred to a military prosecutor, Lebanon's state-run news agency reported.
The National News Agency said Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Fadi Akiki charged Kinda al-Khatib with visiting Israel and "dealing with spies of the Israeli enemy." The report added that the judge referred al-Khatib to a military investigative judge for questioning. The military judge is expected to issue a formal arrest warrant.
Lebanon and Israel are in a state of war and each bans its citizens from visiting the other country.
Al-Khatib was detained last week with her brother, who was later released. According to local media reports, she had visited Israel by crossing from Jordan.
She has been active on social media, where she harshly criticized Hizbullah and President Michel Aoun. Hizbullah and Israel fought a monthlong war in 2006.
Shortly before the charges were filed Monday, dozens rallied in Beirut demanding al-Khatib's release and saying that she was innocent.
The protesters say al-Khatib's case is similar to that of Ziad Itani, a Lebanese stage actor who was released in 2018 after being cleared of charges of collaborating with Israel. Itani spent about four months in prison.
22 June 2020, 16:21
12
Why are Lebanon and Israel still in a state of war? Especially after other Arab countries have not only made peace with that country, a couple of which even having Embassies there?
23 June 2020, 12:00
11
Ask all the Jordanians and Egyptians who travel every year, in part to visit al-Aksa. Ask the Jordanian and Egyptian authorities how many Israelis cross their borders every year, especially those going through the Taba crossing point to holiday on the Sinai coast of the Gulf of Akaba.
22 June 2020, 17:02
14
Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge should immediately issue an arrest warrant against blablablablablablabla the shia christian of european parents from dahieh. He should be charged with spying for Iran and using his deep and wide luv tunnel to entice virile young men to penetrate said deep and wide luv tunnel and deposit their thick lubricants inside it.
23 June 2020, 19:50
10
S.O.S. You don't want to get info from official sources, so I'll answer you direct. Tens of thousands cross the borders in both directions every year. Thousands of Jordanians and Egyptians cross the border to visit relatives and pray at Al-Aksa. Thousands of Israeli cross the border into Jordan to visit Petra, Mount Nevo and Jerash as well as Amman and Aqaba. Other cross the border into Egyptian Sinai to holiday at the holiday villages along the Gulf of Aqaba.
It's about time that you, and Lebanon, realised that many Lebanese have relatives in Israel, some they haven't seen for over 50 years at least, as well as their desire to pray at the third most important site of Islam, Al Aksa in Jerusalem.
Please also try and remember that Lebanon and Israel have no borderline conflicts and the present border is the one accepted by the UN, so that takes away another of your arguments to remain in conflict.
