Samaha Sentenced to 13 Years in Jail with Hard Labor over Terror Charges

Former Information Minister Michel Samaha was sentenced to 13 years in jail over terrorism charges.

The official will serve his sentence in al-Rihannieh jail with hard labor with his civil rights being stripped. He may be transferred to another prison at a later time.

He was charged with the possession of explosives for the purpose of carrying out terrorist attacks.

The verdict cannot be appealed.

The minister had previously served four-and-a-half years in jail as part of a lighter sentence that had shocked the country and which saw his release from prison earlier this year.

The military court of cassation's sentence on Friday ordered that he serve 13 years in jail knowing that nine months make up a single year in jail, said MTV.

The years Samaha already served will be deducted from the new sentence.

The court rejected claims that the former minister was lured into devising the terrorist plot by informant Milad Kfouri.

Samaha had said he was a victim of entrapment because he was not aware that his co-conspirator was a Lebanese security services informer.

The presiding judge said that Samaha already had the intent to carry out his terrorist attacks and the only reason he was stopped was because Kfouri had reported him to the authorities.

Video recordings of Samaha and Kfouri in which he discusses his plot emerged as damning evidence against the official.

Samaha, 67, was arrested in August 2012 and charged with attempting to carry out "terrorist acts" over allegations that he and Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk transported explosives and planned attacks and assassinations of political and religious figures in Lebanon.

Samaha was sentenced in May 2015 to four-and-half years in prison, but in June the Military Court of Cassation nullified the verdict and ordered a retrial.

In January this year, he was released on bail from prison under a controversial ruling that has sent shockwaves across the country.