Report: Lebanon Refuses to Release Arab Inmates in Exchange for Captive Servicemen

Lebanon reportedly rejects to include Arab inmates in a prisoners swap deal with al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front in exchange for the release of servicemen taken hostage by the group.

Diplomatic sources told As Safir newspaper published on Friday that al-Nusra Front, which handed over a list that include 40 inmates, is open to negotiations.

The sources said that the authorities agreed to release 19 Lebanese prisoners, whom they described as “not dangerous.”

The list also includes the names of three women - Iraqi national Saja al-Dulaimi, Lebanese Joumana Hmeid and Alaa al-Oqaili - who are all detained on terror charges.

The sources told As Safir that the Lebanese authorities rejected to include in the swap agreement ten inmates from Arab nationalities due to the preexistence of accords between the country and Arab states that prevent the engagement in any similar deals.

The list also includes the names of several “dangerous prisoners,” the sources remarked.

“We have been informed by Lebanese authorities that they reject the release of any prisoner involved in the shedding of blood, convicted with the death penalty or life time in prison.”

The daily said that negotiations led by Qatar achieved the required purposes as its Intelligence chief Ghanim Khalifa al-Qubaisi is set to head to Turkey to meet with al-Nusra officials and discuss with them the names of inmates included in the prisoners swap deal.

The meetings will allegedly be accompanied by similar talks by a Syrian mediator, who represents Qatar, on the outskirts of the eastern border town of Arsal.

Sources denied to As Safir newspaper that Qatari authorities paid any ransom for the kidnappers in exchange for the release of the servicemen.

A number of soldiers and policemen were abducted by al-Nusra Front and Islamic State group gunmen in the wake of clashes in Arsal in August.

A few of them have since been released, four were executed, and the rest remain held.

The captors have been demanding the release of Islamists held in Lebanon as a condition to set them free.

H.K.

G.K.