Relatives of Aazaz Pilgrims Protest as Three Suspects Held over Turkish Pilots' Abduction

Three people were arrested on Saturday over their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of the Turkish pilot and copilot last week in Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported.

"The Internal Security Forces' Intelligence Branch announced arresting three people suspected of being involved in kidnapping the Turkish pilots,” the NNA said.

The suspects, whose identity was not revealed, underwent an initial round of interrogation and their case has been referred to the prosecutor general, a judicial source told Agence France Presse.

They "have been charged and were interrogated by a deputy prosecutor who issued arrest warrants against them," the source added, without giving further details.

On Thursday, four people were summoned for investigation over their links to the abduction.

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the individuals are relatives and friends of the Lebanese pilgrims held in Syria's Aazaz region.

He revealed that their names were divulged by Mohammed Saleh, another relative of the pilgrims who was arrested on Sunday over his links to the pilots' kidnapping.

The Turkish pilot and co-pilot were kidnapped by gunmen in Beirut last week.

The attack prompted Turkey to issue a travel warning urging its citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Lebanon and those already present in the country to leave.

Meanwhile, the families of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria's Aazaz staged a sit-in on Saturday to protest the “random” arrests of their relatives suspected of taking part in the abduction of the Turkish pilots.

The protest took place near the ISF General Directorate in the Beirut neighborhood of Ashrafieh amid a heavy deployment of security forces.

Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case of the pilgrims stated that the protesters' goal “isn't to release the arrested men.”

“We are asking for legal justifications that explain their detainment,” he said, noting that Charbel “assured that no charges are held against them.”

"But the arrested men will be released because they are innocent.”

Zgheib continued: “The manner in which the ISF Intelligence Branch is dealing with the families of the pilgrims is driving them to act in a way that will not be in the interest of Lebanon's stability.”

"These families are the victims not the attackers,” he added.

“The Intelligence Branch should do its job of protecting citizens.”

Zgheib denied that the pilgrims' relatives have offered information on the kidnapping of the Turkish pilot and copilot, and remarked that a previously scheduled meeting with ISF acting chief Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous has been canceled.

"I don't know what political pressures he is being subjected to, but we were told he was not in Lebanon.”

Daniel Shoaib, the brother of pilgrim Abbas Shoaib said their sit-ins aim at protesting the “random arrests by the Intelligence Branch.”

“The Intelligence Branch is giving media outlets false reports that say the families of the pilgrims are sharing information on the Turks' kidnapping,” Shoaib told the NNA.

He remarked: “And as a result of these void accusations, three men were arrested for their alleged involvement in the abduction of the pilots.”

Following the Turkish pilots' kidnapping, the relatives of Lebanese pilgrims held in Aazaz were quick to deny having any links to the abduction although they have repeatedly accused Turkey of being responsible for the release of their loved ones, warning that they will target Turkish interests in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to resolve the case.

In May 2012, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage from Iran.

Two of them have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.