Charbel Denies Imminent Release of Pilgrims, Talks About Ongoing Negotiations

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel has denied reports about an imminent release of nine Lebanese pilgrims held captive by rebels in Syria since May 2012.

In remarks to al-Liwaa newspaper published on Wednesday, Charbel said there has been “ huge optimism” that the nine men would be released “but we cannot set a date and time.”

Media reports said Tuesday that the pilgrims, who were held in the town of Aazaz in the northern Aleppo province, have been moved to a safer area near the Syrian-Turkish border ahead of their imminent release.

Charbel stressed however that their release “hinges on the ongoing contacts between us and the involved parties.”

He did not give further details.

Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Aleppo in May 2012 as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage in Iran. But two of them were later released.

Their relatives have repeatedly held Turkey responsible for their abduction, and they have held protests near Turkish premises in Lebanon to pressure Ankara to exert more efforts to release their loved ones.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who returned to Beirut at dawn Tuesday after visiting Damascus, Doha and Ankara, has reportedly discussed with officials there about a possible deal to release the pilgrims in addition to two bishops kidnapped in Syria in return for setting free two Turkish pilots abducted near Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut in August.

Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case of the abducted pilgrims, said that Ibrahim has informed him about positive steps in the case.

Zgheib insisted however that “the media had exaggerated by saying the Lebanese (men) would be released within hours.”

Daniel Shoaib, the son of captive Abbas Shoaib, also said that several obstacles have been removed.

“The rate of optimism has grown,” he said, hoping for a happy ending in the coming days.