Hermel, Dahieh, Tripoli Blasts, Shatah Murder Referred to Judicial Council

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on Monday referred to the Judicial Council the cases of twelve deadly bombings that rocked different regions in Lebanon in the past months.

Rifi announced in a released statement that he has appointed judicial investigators at the Judicial Council to probe the “terrorist explosions.”

The statement detailed: “Judge Imad al-Zein will investigate the bombings in (the Beirut southern suburbs of) Bir al-Abed that took place on July 9, 2013 and in Rweiss on August 15, 2013. He will also look into the two explosions of the Haret Hreik region (in southern Beirut) that happened on January 2, 2014 and January 21, 2014.”

It continued: “Judge Alain Khatib will probe the twin blasts that targeted al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in (the northern city of) Tripoli on August 23, 2013.”

Meanwhile, Judge Mohammed Wissam al-Murtada will be in charge of the explosion that targeted the Iranian embassy on November 19, 2013 and of the Bir Hassan blast of February 19, 2014 in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Also, Judge Mohammed Saab was tasked with looking into the December 27, 2013 explosion which killed former minister Mohammed Shatah in the Beirut neighborhood of Starco.

As for the three bombings that hit the Bekaa town of Hermel in January and February 2014, they were handed to Judge Sabbouh Suleiman.

Dozens of people, among them troops, were killed or wounded in a series of deadly explosions that hit different Lebanese regions in recent months, many of which were claimed by the al-Qaida inspired jihadist group “Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon.”

However, nothing so far has been revealed in the case of Shatah's assassination.

S.D.B.

Y.R.