Four More People Charged with Kidnapping of Estonians

Government Commissioner to the Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr on Tuesday charged four people with involvement in the kidnapping of the seven Estonian tourists last month.

The state-run National News Agency said that two of them were charged in absentia. Among the four people, two are Lebanese nationals.

The four suspects were charged with the armed abduction of the tourists, and opening fire on a patrol from the Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces and injuring policeman Mohammed Fawaz in the foot.

The number of those charged with the kidnapping rose to 16 on Tuesday, NNA said.

The seven tourists were abducted in the eastern Bekaa Valley after entering Lebanon from Syria on their bicycles on March 23.

An undated video was uploaded to YouTube last Tuesday and shows the Estonians begging Lebanese, Saudi, Jordanian and French leaders to secure their release.