Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir appeared before the Military Court of Cassation today, after a break that lasted for more than three years, as part of his retrial in the “Abra Incidents” and “Sleeper Cells” files, following the overturn of the two previous sentences issued against him, which imposed death sentences and 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labor. The return to court coincided with the issuance of the contested general amnesty law, from which the prisoner benefits in terms of reducing penalties.
During the session, which lasted about a quarter of an hour, the prisoner’s defense agents submitted a request to release him, which was opposed by the representative of the Public Prosecution, Judge Myrna Kallas, and the court, headed by Judge Maroun Abu Jaoude, would decide on the request at a later time.
The defense team also submitted a series of requests that included hearing testimonies from a number of military and security leaders, as well as former ministers and representatives. The agents produced two CDs containing an investigative report on the circumstances of the Abra events, the beginning of the battle, and who fired at the Lebanese army, according to what lawyer Muhammad Sablouh said, who confirmed that these data contribute to “illuminating the issue.”
The court is scheduled to decide on the defense requests before the next session, which was postponed until the twenty-sixth of next November. The postponement came to complete the procedures, specifically informing the Syrian defendant, Abdel Basset Barakat, who was previously handed over to the Syrian authorities in accordance with the bilateral judicial agreement that included the handover to Lebanon of about 200 Syrian convicts.
In addition to Al-Asir and Barakat, the “Abra Incidents” file includes the detainees Khaled Amer and Hussein Yassin, and the released Yahya Daqmaq, Muhammad Al-Asadi, and Rabih Al-Tanqouzi. The latter did not attend the session, which prompted the court to decide to try him in absentia.
In the “sleeper cells” file, the court had begun interrogating the prisoner and released accused, Muhammad Al-Naqouzi, on April 19, 2022, as the prisoner adhered to his previous statements. He then asked to listen to an audio recording attributed to him and containing a call for young men to form sleeper cells after he fled following the events in Abra. These are the requests that the court agreed to present in the upcoming November 26 session.
