Crisis Cell: Itani to Be Released Very Soon, Positive Indicators about Detained Pilgrims

The crisis cell announced on Monday that abducted journalist in Syria Fidaa Itani will be released soon, revealing also that there are positive signals and indications concerning the issue of the nine detained pilgrims.

Labor Minister Salim Jreissati explained after the meeting of the governmental committee in charge of following up on the Lebanese kidnapped in Syria at the Interior Minister Marwan Charbel's office that sources have disclosed that “Itani's abduction is strictly related to the material he was covering”.

“We urge Itani's family to refrain from giving declarations to the media, as the issue is now in the hands of authorities concerned and the crisis cell”, the minister expressed.

Itani, who works for LBCI television and other news channels, was detained last Saturday in Aazaz region in Aleppo “because his work is incompatible with the path of the Syrian revolution and rebels,” the rebels posted on their page.

Minister Jreissati said that the Interior Minister initiated “serious communication channels concerning the abduction of journalist Fidaa Itani and the continued detention of the rest of the detainees”.

"These channels enjoy credibility and acceptance by all parties,” Jreissati added.

After freeing Itani, the Labor Minister said that they will remain in contact with the aforementioned communication channels regarding the rest of the detainees, whose release date has not been set yet.

"There are positive signs related to the pilgrims' case,” Jreissati announced, thanking the detainees' families for their patience and for refraining from media appearances that might complicate the case of their sons.

Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo on May 22 as they were returning home from a pilgrimage in Iran.

One abductee was released in August in what his captors said was a “goodwill” gesture and another was released in September.