Nineteen more Lebanese sentenced for collaboration with “Israel”

“ Beirut's military court tried 25 more Lebanese for offenses connected with the “Israeli” occupation of southern Lebanon that ended last spring, convicting 19 of them for collaboration, court officials said.

The 19 received sentences ranging from nine months to two years.

Another two of the defendants were convicted of violating a boycott on “Israel” by smuggling five kilos (11 pounds) of cocaine from the then “Israeli”-held town of Naqoura to Cyprus.

One was jailed for 15 years and fined 10,000 dollars. The second was sentenced to seven years and a fine of 5,000 dollars.

The four remaining defendants were freed, either for lack of proof or because of extenuating circumstances.

Wednesday's rulings bring to 2,343 the number of people tried since June 5, just two weeks after “Israel’s” withdrawal from southern, when Lebanon began trying more than 2,500 Lebanese accused of collaboration.

Many of those charged have been former pro-”Israeli” South Lebanon Army (SLA) or other Lebanese accused of colaborating with “Israel”.

Eleven people have been sentenced to death and three others to life in prison, all in absentia.

AFP, 31-1-2001