General Security: Al-Hajj arrest 'judicial procedure,' Ibrahim didn't call al-Rahi
Lebanon's General Security agency denied Thursday any call between General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, following the arrest and summons of archbishop Mussa al-Hajj.
The General Security said in a statement that the arrest of Hajj is "a judicial procedure that anyone who crosses from and to Palestinian territories is subject to, without any exception."
The statement also negated that al-Hajj has been mistreated by the general security agents. "We treated the archbishop in a legal and humanitarian way," the General Security said.
Al-Hajj was detained and summoned by a military court after a visit to his parish in Israel. Security forces seized "large quantities of medicines, foodstuffs and canned goods, enough to fill a car, in addition to $460,000" when he re-entered Lebanon."
Archbishop Mussa was bringing aid from Lebanese nationals in Israel to relatives back home who have been hit by Lebanon's crisis, an anonymous official added.
Many Lebanese rely on remittances from family abroad to weather a crushing economic crisis that began in 2019, but transporting products or money from Israel to Lebanon is illegal.
The arrest drew angry reactions from Christian leaders and was condemned by the council of Maronite bishops.
21 July 2022, 12:11
03
How is it that in his official capacity and with the full knowledge of the Lebanese authorities Archbishop al-Hajj has crossed the border in both directions many times bringing back to his flock in Lebanon necessities and money.
Only this time Hizballah is once again showing its control of the country and this time instead of threatening no-Lebanese Jews they are threatening Lebanese Maronite Christians.
Isn't it about time that the authorities in Lebanon put their foot down to prevent this terrorist organisation from controlling another facit of Lebanese evryday life.
21 July 2022, 12:17
02
The guy is the archbishop of Haifa and God knows what other places in the holy land, he is entitled to move freely and to meet his followers as a Christian shepherd. Having the Lebanese side stopping him is a disgrace, I’d expect this from the Israeli occupation forces, not from the Lebanese ! This basically is a proof that the head of the general security is under Iranian tutelage, we’ve never fallen this low not even during the Syrian occupation.
21 July 2022, 17:43
02
"Transporting $460,000 without legal declaration is called money laundering. All an [sic] (un)documented $$ coming in the country are illegal."
Unless it's for the benefit Iranian militia in Lebanon and it's organizations, that is.
22 July 2022, 16:17
00
And Hezbollah gets a billion dollars every year from Iran without declaring shit! Let’s not even mention the tehreeb and all smuggled goods sold at ouzaii tax free.
