Interpol Rejects Interfering in Syrian Arrest Warrants against Lebanese Officials, FSA Member

The Interpol will not deal with the Syrian arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, al-Mustaqbal MP Oqab Saqr and Syrian opposition member Louay al-Meqdad in line with its constitution and rules, al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to a memo sent by the Interpol to its offices in the Arab countries, the organization decided not to keep the arrest warrants in its database and will not cooperate with them based on its regulations as “it is strictly forbidden for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of political, military, religious or racial character.”

The organization pointed out that the request doesn't comply with its regulations based on “the nature of the charges, the status of the wanted individuals and the current situation in Syria.”

It noted that cooperation with the arrest warrants will not be through its channels.

According to al-Mustaqbal newspaper, General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi also received a copy of the memo disposed by the Interpol.

Damascus issued the warrant for the arrest of Hariri, Saqr and Free Syrian Army member Meqdad on Wednesday, accusing them of sending weapons to rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

The warrants were issued after al-Akhbar newspaper and OTV channel published wiretaps that apparently implicated Saqr in making arms shipments to Syrian rebels.

Last week, Saqr held a press conference claiming the recordings were distorted.

Media reports said on Tuesday that the Interpol's office at the Internal Security Forces received the warrants by e-mail and forwarded it to Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who in his turn informed State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr of the content of the warrants.

Hariri described on Wednesday Assad as a “beast,” who should be brought to trial for taking part in assassinations and sending explosives to Lebanon, while MP Saqr described the matter as a “badge of honor.”

The move comes in light of requests by the Lebanese judiciary to question Syrian security chief Ali Mamlouk, a colonel identified only as Adnan as suspects in the case of former Minister Michel Samaha and Buthaina Shaaban, Assad's media adviser, to be questioned as a witness in the case.

Samaha was arrested in August on charges of forming a criminal gang aimed at carrying out attacks in Lebanon at Syria's behest.