Beirut residents who suffered damages after deadly Hezbollah clashes filed a criminal case on Thursday against the Iran-backed group’s elusive leader.
The lawsuit follows the Mount Lebanon prosecutor's decision to go forward with a case brought against Christian leader Samir Geagea by Hezbollah supporters.
The group blames the Lebanese Forces leader for shootings that killed seven people.
LF supporters accuse prosecutor Ghada Aoun of supporting President Michel Aoun, a rival Christian leader.
Retaliatory lawsuits to settle sectarian scores highlight the Lebanese authorities’ inability to hold perpetrators of politically-backed violence to account.
“Monday’s decision encouraged residents to go forward with their case and demand their rights,” lawyer Elie Mahfouz said.
"Authorities can’t accept a case for one group and not for the other."
Mr Mahfouz represents residents of Ain El Remmaneh, a Christian neighbourhood bordering the Shiite Tayyouneh area in Beirut, where violence erupted.
The fighting along a former line of demarcation of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war sparked fears that the country could again descend into sectarian conflict.
Last month Mr Mahfouz filed a case on their behalf against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, but said that the general prosecution shelved the lawsuit.
He described the clashes as an invasion that damaged Ain El Remmaneh residents' property and their sources of income.
Supporters of Hezbollah and its allies gathered in October to demand that the judge leading the investigation into the Beirut blast resign after he summoned high-profile figures close to the group for questioning.
Violence broke out near the protest, killing seven people, all of whom are either supporters of Hezbollah or their ally the Amal Movement. Hezbollah said that snipers belonging to the Christian Lebanese Forces shot protesters from the rooftops of Ain El Remmaneh.
The LF said that residents of the area felt threatened by the protest near a Christian neighbourhood and acted in self-defence.
The clashes prompted a wave of arrests and a war of words between Nasrallah and Mr Geagea.
The Lebanese government has not met since October after ministers backed by Hezbollah and their allies threatened to boycott sessions if judge Tarek Bitar remained in office.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
