Military Tribunal Receives File on Estonians' Kidnapper

The case of the mastermind in the kidnapping of the seven Estonian cyclists have been referred to the Military Tribunal, reported the National News Agency Tuesday.

It said that State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr referred the case of Hussein al-Hujairi to the permanent military court.

The Internal Security Forces announced earlier in May that it had arrested Hujairi for plotting the abduction of the Estonians in 2011.

A special unit from the ISF Intelligence Branch arrested him in the outskirts of Arsal and Ras Baalbek in the eastern Bekaa valley after luring him to the area.

He is a suspect in the killing of Sergeant Elias Nasrallah and Information Branch Sergeant Major Rashed Sabri.

He is involved in the kidnapping of three BBC journalists and transferring them to Syria where they were later released.

The seven Estonians were freed in July 2011, some four months after being abducted by armed men as they entered Lebanon on a bicycle tour from neighboring Syria.

Their release took place amid unclear circumstances.