Lebanese military judge claims former mufti affiliated to Daesh

A Lebanese military judge announced yesterday that the former mufti of the Rashya neighbourhood in Al-Beqaa District, Bassam Al-Tarras, had been arrested over his alleged affiliation to Daesh, a Lebanese security source said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the official Lebanese Al-Wataniyah News Agency reported the security source as saying: “The representative of the government in the military court, Judge Saqr Saqr, indicted the detained Sheikh Bassam Al-Tarras.”

The indictment, the source said, included two other fugitives known as Mohamed Qasim and Mahmoud Rabei. The source said that Al-Tarras contacted Daesh knowing that it was a terrorist organisation.

According to the source, the case of Sheikh Al-Tarras was transferred to an investigative judge of the military court.

Al-Tarras was previously arrested on the eve of the Muslim celebration of Eid Al-Adha over allegations of his suspected affiliation to terrorist organisations.

The Committee of Muslim Scholars, a body representing Sunni religious scholars in Lebanon, called for mass demonstrations against the Al-Tarras’ detention, stating that the authorities were obliged to release him.

Anadolu Agency reported a source as saying that the Committee of Muslim Scholars is to hold an emergency meeting in order to “take an appropriate decision in response to the measure” against Al-Tarras.