Hizbullah Denies Ayyad's Swap Deal Involved Suspect Held by Lebanese Authorities
Hizbullah denied on Wednesday reports saying that the party secured the safe release of a member, who was held by a Syrian rebel group, in exchange for a Syrian who was in the custody of the Lebanese authorities.
“The report that was published in An Nahar newspaper on Tuesday is completely false,” Hizbullah's press office said.
The newspaper had reported that the release of Hizbullah member Imad Ayyad last week was in exchange for two Syrians, one of them was in the custody of the Lebanese authorities.
The General Security Directorate also stressed on Tuesday that head of the Free Syrian Army command council Colonel Abdullah Rifai is in its custody, denying that he was handed over to Hizbullah to swap him with Ayyad.
“Rifai is still in our custody and his fate is linked to the negotiation process” of the abducted Lebanese soldiers and policemen, the General Security said.
State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr handed over Rifai in November to the General Security without charging him.
The Lebanese army arrested Rifai who was trying to enter Syria using fake documents.
The FSA is the Western-backed moderate group fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Hizbullah said last Tuesday that one of its members, Ayyad, was freed in exchange for two gunmen who were in the party's custody.
Ayyad had been in the custody of Syrian groups in the mountains of the Qalamun region near Lebanon's border.
The party has been fighting alongside troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad against rebels seeking to topple him.
The matter drew the ire of the families of captive servicemen, who expressed regret at Hizbullah's ability to engage in a prisoner swap with Syrian gunmen and the failure of the Lebanese government to do so.
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