A Lebanese-American man accused of torture but released from custody in Beirut earlier this year has died at his home in New Hampshire.
Amer Fakhoury was accused in Lebanon of running a prison for the South Lebanon Army, a hardline Israeli-backed Christian militia.
Fakhoury’s US lawyer Celine Atallah confirmed his passing.
Fakhoury, 57, was arrested during a personal visit to Beirut last September but released in March and whisked out of the country aboard a US helicopter. He denied the charges against him but the case caused controversy in Lebanon as several local parties demanded he faces trial despite the time elapsing between his alleged crimes and his arrest.
Collaborating with Israel remains a highly sensitive crime in Lebanon, which has been at war with Israel since its creation in 1948. A high ranking member of the South Lebanon Army, a Christian militia that collaborated with Israel during its 1982-2000 occupation of the region, Fakhoury supervised the prison of Khiam, where inmates were routinely tortured and held outside any legal framework, according to Amnesty International.
Fakhoury’s release by order of a military tribunal angered Israel’s archenemy, Lebanese political party-cum-militia Hezbollah. A south Lebanon judge tried to prevent him from leaving the country by issuing a two-month travel ban. The head of the military court, Hussein Abdallah, resigned following Mr Fakhoury’s exit to the United States.
“We released him because Lebanese law stipulates that a case must be dropped after 20 years,” said a source at the military court who asked to remain anonymous because he had not received permission to speak to the media. Fakhoury was sentenced to 15 years in prison for spying for Israel in absentia in 1996 but his case was dropped at his lawyer’s request in 2018.
“When he came to Beirut in 2019, we had no right to arrest him, but what happened, happened,” said the source.
“We knew he had leukaemia – that is why we treated his case quickly” added the source.
Like thousands of SLA members, Fakhoury fled Lebanon when Israel withdrew in May 2000. He entered Israel and shortly after, migrated to the United States, where he opened a Lebanese restaurant in Dover, New Hampshire. His family denies that he was involved in acts of torture.
Mrs Atallah previously told The National that Mr Fakhoury had been subject to mental and physical abuse following his arrest in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities reject these claims.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
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Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
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- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
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Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
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Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
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Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
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Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
