Report: Geagea summoned to Lebanese military court over Beirut violence

Thursday, 21 October 2021 7:12 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 21 October 2021 7:12 PM ]

Family members mourn the death of a member of the Lebanese Amal movement, killed in clashes in the Tayouneh neighborhood of the capital Beirut's southern suburbs a day earlier, during his funeral in the southern Lebanese town of al-Numairiyah, on October 15, 2021. (Photo by AFP)

Lebanon’s military court has summoned Samir Geagea, the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) political party, over the killing of seven Shia Muslims in Beirut during last week’s violence.

Lebanese media outlets on Thursday reported that the court summoned Geagea to hear his testimony on the October 14 violence in light of the confessions of those detained over the clashes.

At least seven people were killed and 60 others injured in an attack on October 14, during which Hezbollah supporters were shot from rooftops while they were gathering to peacefully protest against a judge investigating last year's Beirut Port explosion as they accused him of bias.

In a statement, Hezbollah and its ally Amal Movement said armed groups affiliated with the LF party, a former militia group during the 1975-1990 civil war, fired at the protesters from rooftops, aiming at their heads, in an attempt to drag Lebanon into new sectarian strife.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday said that “the real program for the Lebanese Forces is civil war”.

“The biggest threat to the Christian presence in Lebanon and the security of the Christian community is the Forces party."

Geagea’s party biggest threat to Christians in Lebanon, aims to create civil war: Nasrallah

Nasrallah says the far-right Lebanese Forces (LF) political party, led by Samir Geagea, seeks to plunge Lebanon into a civil war.

Tarek Bitar, who is investigating the Beirut Port explosion, has for months tried to question former Prime Minister Hasan Diab as well as ex-ministers Ali Hasan Khalil, Ghazi Zeiter, Nouhad Machnouk, and Youssef Finianos. Khalil and Zeiter belong to the Amal Movement.

The judge has also sought to summon General Security chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim and State Security head Major General Tony Saliba. However, the Interior Ministry and Higher Defense Council did not grant him permission to do so.

Nasrallah has accused Bitar of "politically targeting" officials in his investigation.

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