Families of Abducted Pilgrims Hold Turkey Responsible for Delay
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The families of the pilgrims abducted in Syria issued a statement on Saturday condemning the delay of their release, holding Turkey responsible for it.
They held it responsible for maintaining the pilgrims’ safety and “ensuring their safe return to Lebanon as soon as possible.”
They voiced their “complete trust in Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in guaranteeing their return.”
The pilgrims were expected to arrive in Lebanon from Turkey on Friday but logistic reasons have forced the delay, said Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
The families demanded that the international community perform its political, humanitarian, and social duties in ensuring their release.
Charbel had stated that the delay was caused by investigations the Turkish authorities are conducting with the pilgrims.
Official Lebanese sources have however informed LBC television on Saturday that the pilgrims are still in the hands of their abductors.
They said that the pilgrims were on their way to be released, but complications arose forcing them to remain with the kidnappers in Syria.
MTV meanwhile reported Saturday that the pilgrims are in fact in Turkey.
The 11 pilgrims were kidnapped in Aleppo on Tuesday.
The Free Syrian Army has been accused of being behind the abduction, a claim it has denied.
On Thursday, the rebel army said it was making "every effort" to locate and release the pilgrims.
Conflicting reports had emerged on Friday about the exact timing of their arrival in Beirut and about whether or not they were handed over to Turkish authorities.
Media reports said that they were supposed to arrive in Beirut on Friday night.
Hizbullah and AMAL Movement issued a joint statement Friday confirming that the pilgrims are in good health and asking their families to return home and wait until morning for further news.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Ramadan, member of the opposition Syrian National Council, told MTV on Friday that “the Lebanese abductees are still in Syria.”
“The fierce Syrian shelling on border areas is hindering the handing over of the abductees to Turkey,” MTV also reported.
26 May 2012, 10:44
04
They are still in Syria. It is funny how false news and reports happen in that region.
26 May 2012, 14:06
00
@ patriot,
they are still in syria, the problem is that the syrians discovered that ABBAS SHOUAIB one of the 13 "pilgrims" is a hizballah member responsible for training part of the "shabiha"..and the last television show of hassoun did not help..expect them to be released after some time , but not abbas shouaib...the line joining iran to hassan has been virused.
26 May 2012, 12:27
21
Abuse of communication to put pressure on syrian rebels to release them! I am sure they are still kidnapped!
Nice strategy but will it work?
26 May 2012, 15:54
00
what are u waiting for, naharnet, to tell the truth?tell them why abbas shouaib was among the "pilgrims"???????????
26 May 2012, 14:07
12
“The fierce Syrian shelling on border areas is hindering the handing over of the abductees to Turkey,”
ask your friends who prevents them from leaving: you know the regime you are so proud of and that kills children and never fires a bullet against israel but prefers to kill its own people! you know those cowards like M8 people who bark between the legs of those who have the weapons but are nothing if you disarm them... 3aw 3aw!
26 May 2012, 15:17
11
How can anything happen without kissing Bashar's ring? You really really thought after hundred of kidnappings and in the end of the movie that the Syrian Gov. will let it go without being part of the solution? they will shell towns and borders to make it impossible for anyone else to rise except them-an evil regime that understands one language only-terror and force to resolve everything.
26 May 2012, 16:18
00
a lot of confusion, i don't understand, solidarity with the families. god bless you and your men.
26 May 2012, 17:04
02
Question is, what is the benefit for the syrian regime if Hariri gets the credit for the release on syrian land?
Add to that, they will be transported to Lebanon from Turkey which is a strong critic now of the regime in Syria.
I can see 3 answers.
1. Syria see no benefit in this. Hariri and Turkey are currently their enemies. It´s a heavy propaganda loss specially amongst their "shia" allies in Lebanon that hariri "saves" these people. Then, if this is the case something should be done to save the face of the regime and keep Lebanon divided.
They will sp read out that harir was lying, or guessing, and that they were not in safe hands. Later the Syrian regime will save them and bring them back over the Lebanese/Syrian border.
26 May 2012, 17:04
00
2.Syria is ok with hariri getting the credit as the regime is under heavy pressure and the situation in Lebanon was escalating towards a division possibly resulting in war between pro and antiSyrian factions ( after the assasinations in Akkar). It´s not the right time for them, for such a war.
3. Everything is as they are trying to show us----)they are safe but some logistic matters are holding them up for a couple of days.
26 May 2012, 18:45
00
Lets ask a serious question, whywhere these idiots driving thru a war zone in the first place ?, is the only road to beirut thru Aleppo ? Who the hell would take this risk, this whole story has beeen fabricated by Bashar and his thugs.
26 May 2012, 19:42
00
يان ثاني لأهالي المخطوفين: تركيا مسؤولة وأي كلام آخر مرفوض (tayyar.org)
you ashura brain damaged chimps are ungrateful bastards! Remember the Thank you Qatar billboards! The camel jockey's money rebuilt most of the south and dahieh and now he's a pariah. Now here's your banana FlaminTurd.
26 May 2012, 20:36
00
Maybe it helps Hezb empathize more with families of kidnap victims..... such as Joseph Sader and dozens others like him. Sad when we feel an event as tragic only if it affects us.
27 May 2012, 08:06
00
correction to fadson:
we are not concerned about hizbushaitan reacting, it is all about humanity only.
if hizbushaitan wants to react it will start a civil war immediately and we are ready for that if there is no other way. we hope they will not react for sure.
