Al-Hayat journalist formally charged

Al-Hayat journalist Habib Younes may face the death penalty if convicted of charges that he held contacts with “Israel”.
The Military Tribunal’s investigating magistrate, Abdullah Hajj, issued an arrest warrant for Younes on Thursday. He was also charged with leaking fabricated reports, collaborating with the enemy, undermining state authority and prestige, and damaging Lebanese ties with a sisterly country by disclosing information to the enemy.
The same charges were also leveled against Antoine Bassil, the Beirut correspondent for the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation’s radio station (MBC FM); Etienne Saqr, who headed the war-time Guardians of the Cedars and who has been in exile since the 1980s; Tony Shalfoun, who worked for the defunct “Israeli”-allied South Lebanon Army’s Middle East Television; and Cesar Saqr, allegedly a senior SLA official. Saqr reportedly passed away five years ago, while Shalfoun’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Hajj issued the five warrants after interrogating Tawfiq Hindi, the political adviser to Samir Geagea, the jailed leader of the banned Lebanese Forces.
Younes allegedly confessed that he was asked to participate in demonstrations demanding Syria’s withdrawal from Lebanon using the Free Patriotic Movement and disbanded LF as a front in anticipation of “important developments during July.”
The indictment added that an expected “Israeli” attack was conveyed to Younes by Saqr, who has a “strong relationship” with “Israeli” Premier Ariel Sharon’s government. The “Israeli” strike “would return the region to the way things were before 1990,” according to the indictment, which was issued by Chief Military Prosecutor Nasri Lahoud.
It said Younes first made contact with Odid Zaray, the press attache of Uri Lubrani, former coordinator for “Israeli” activities in Lebanon, in 1988, when Zaray was working for the Phalange Party newspaper Al-Aamal, under the pseudonym Samir Karam. Al-Aamal closed down in the 1980s. The indictment also said that Younes maintained his contact with Zaray through Saqr.
Younes is also accused of  entering “Israel” with Saqr and Shalfoun, meeting “Israeli” officers, “and coordinating with them.” Younes previously worked for Middle East TV and Voice of the South radio.
Lahoud’s office on Thursday denied reports that Hindi was taken to hospital “after suffering an emergency health condition.”
It issued a statement saying Hindi was “in good health now, but was taken to hospital following his request for a check-up.”
The statement said that since Hindi only suffers from “fatigue and exhaustion” and hospital tests showed that his “heart, veins and arteries were normal,” he should not be admitted to hospital but should remain under “supervision in his place of detention.” However, the statement said the check-up revealed that “one of his cardiac veins and arteries showed symptoms of a chronic condition and will be examined by a doctor.”
MBC on Thursday denied news reports that Bassil was a correspondent for its TV station. “Bassil … was a temporary, freelance correspondent for MBC FM,” the statement said.
however, a merchant was detained Thursday for allegedly maintaining “long-time commercial connections” with Zaray.
Judicial sources said Jamal Hashem Nasser agreed with an “Israeli” in Paris to buy an “Israeli” brand of women’s clothes known as “Botex,” then replaced the labels with ones reading “Smatch.” The goods were then shipped from London to Beirut.
The sources said Nasser had been meeting Zaray, who was introduced to him under the pseudonym Abdel-Karim, since 1996, but only learned his true identity after 1999.
The sources claimed Nasser said he decided to continue contacts with Zaray, arguing that “this matter has no effect on me.”

AFP, 23-8-2001.