Lebanon court hands two death sentences for collaboration with “Israel”

Beirut's military court handed down another 60 sentences over the past week against Lebanese accused of collaborating with “Israel”, including two death sentences in absentia, judicial sources said Saturday.

Two former members of the now-disbanded “Israeli”-allied South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia accused of collaboration, murder, attempted murder and "arresting citizens" were sentenced to death in absentia, the sources said.

The court also sentenced in absentia two former SLA members to life and six others to 15 years in prison, while a civilian was given a two-year prison term for entering “Israeli” territory.

Eleven ex-militiamen present in court were handed sentences ranging from five to seven years in jail, for collaboration, murder or arresting citizens.

Prison terms ranging from three to 18 months were handed to 21 inhabitants of the southern Lebanese region formerly occupied by the “Israeli” army for enrollment in the SLA.

Sixteen other Lebanese accused of entering “Israeli” territory were given fines while the same charges were dropped against five more because the time limit to try them had expired.

According to figures provided by the military court, 2,700 out of 3,049 former SLA militiamen in custody have been tried since the start of trials in June 2000, ten days after the “Israeli” troop pull-out from southern Lebanon.

So far, 32 have been sentenced to death, all of them in absentia.

AFP, 7-7-2001.