Itani Appears in Video, Says 'in Good Health, under House Arrest' in Aazaz
Abducted Lebanese journalist Fidaa Itani has reassured that he was in good health in a YouTube video uploaded on Sunday.
In the video uploaded by his abductors, a Syrian rebel group calling itself the Aazaz Northern Storm Brigade, Itani said he was in good health, clarifying that he is “under house arrest.”
In a statement published on their website, he Aazaz Northern Storm Brigade said that Itani was in their custody due to security reasons.
The statement pointed out that Itani was not arrested because of his nationality or political affiliation and that he will be asked to leave Syrian territory after a few days.
Syrian rebel fighters in the Aazaz area posted on their facebook page Saturday that they had detained Itani.
They assured that they will free him as soon as the necessary documents and information about him are acquired.
Itani, who works for LBCI television and other news channels, was detained “because his work is incompatible with the path of the Syrian revolution and rebels,” the rebels posted on their page.
They pointed out that “reports and videos have not proven yet Itani's involvement with any party that works against the revolution, but his presence as a journalist no longer receives approval in areas controlled by the rebels.”
LBCI contacted a rebel official in Aazaz, Abu Ibrahim, who confirmed that Itani is in the custody of Aazaz rebels, and that he was detained while accompanying a group of fighters in Aleppo.
Abu Ibrahim, or Ammar al-Dadikhli, abductor of nine Lebanese pilgrims in Syria said: “Itani was taking photos of a lot of military operations which made us suspicious and therefore we took him to Aazaz.”
Meanwhile, al-Jadeed television quoted sources informed on the negotiations to free Itani as saying that al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Oqab Saqr is exerting "strenuous efforts" to free him.
He is expected to be released in the next two days, it revealed.
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.
The kidnappers had repeatedly linked the release of the Lebanese captives to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a close ally of the Syrian regime, apologizing over his stances on the Syrian revolt.
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