Lebanon Demands Libya to Keep Investigations in Sadr’s Case 'Secret'

A Lebanese judicial security committee tasked with following up the disappearance of revered Lebanese Shiite Imam Moussa al-Sadr and his two companions demanded on Saturday Libyan authorities not to disclose any information about the carried out investigations.

The committee described statements by Libyan National Transitional Council chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil regarding the case as inaccurate.

“Lebanon never received a sample from the body,” it said in a statement.

On Friday, Abdel Jalil told al-Arabiya channel that Libya “did its part of the investigations and waiting for the Lebanese authorities to announce the DNA tests.”

“The committee is following up its tasks on all levels,” the statement added.

It noted that although the committee presumes that Sadr, who mysteriously disappeared in Libya more than 33 years ago, and his two companions are still alive, it agreed to take samples from a body and possessions that are believed to belong to Sadr to run some tests.

“We’ve established a scientific report and reached a conclusion that the possessions don’t belong to his eminence,” the statement pointed out.

The fate of the Iranian-born Shiite cleric has been unknown since he and his two traveling companions, Sheikh Mohammed Yacoub and journalist Abbas Badreddine, vanished during a trip to Libya.

According to the committee, the Libyan officials were verbally briefed about the results and will be handed an official report during the upcoming meeting in Libya.

Concerning the body that allegedly belongs to Sadr, the committee stated that the Libyan authorities and the Lebanese authorities agreed on moving it to a European country to carry out the DNA test.

However, the committee noted that the body doesn’t belong to Sadr as the preliminary tests showed there are differences in the age and height.

In November, a former aide to slain Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, said the revered Lebanese spiritual leader had been liquidated during a 1978 visit to Libya.

Sadr and his two companions were seen for the last time on August 31, 1978.

However, most of Sadr's followers are convinced that Gadhafi ordered Sadr killed.

Lebanon has sent several delegations to Libya after the ouster of Gadhafi to follow up the case of his disappearance.