Death Penalty Sought for Rifaat Eid, Jabal Mohsen Top Gunmen

An indictment issued Friday demanded the death penalty for Arab Democratic Party top official Rifaat Eid and three others on charges of murder and terrorism.

Military Examining Magistrate Judge Riyad “Abu Ghida has issued an indictment demanding the death penalty for Rifaat Eid and three leaders of Jabal Mohsen's fighting frontiers on charges of murder and terrorism,” LBCI television reported.

The charges also include “starting gunbattles between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh.”

On April 28, new arrest warrants were issued against Arab Democratic Party leader Ali Eid, his son Rifaat and others over their involvement in the 18th round of fighting in the northern city of Tripoli.

The warrants came as army troops and security forces started implementing an unprecedented security plan in the North and the Bekaa, which resulted in the arrest of dozens of fugitives while many others are still at large, among them Ali and Rifaat Eid.

That was the third arrest warrant against Rifaat Eid, whose father Ali is accused of helping fugitives behind the 2013 blasts against Tripoli mosques escape justice.

On April 5, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged 12 Lebanese, including Rifaat Eid, with belonging to an armed terrorist group, possession of arms, inciting sedition and involvement in gunbattles between the rival Tripoli districts of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh.

According to Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, Rifaat Eid fled to Orange County, California. Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq has noted the party's chief Ali Eid left Lebanon to Syria.

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