Hezbollah armed members: Two rocket carriers before military investigative judge

The first military investigative judge, Ghada Abu Alwan, is set to question on Tuesday two Hezbollah supporters who were arrested earlier this month at Lebanese Army checkpoints for transporting rockets.

They are among four members of the party against whom the government commissioner to the military court, Claude Ghanem, initiated charges on March 16.

He referred them for investigation under the law, which defines the transport of heavy artillery as a crime.

The other two were charged with the offense of transporting light weapons. One of them was detained for 12 days before Judge Abu Alwan ordered his release on bail of 60 million Lebanese liras (about $667). The other became the subject of an arrest warrant issued by investigative judge Rayan Nasr, pending the indictment.

Four armed Hezbollah members, detained for six days, were acquitted on March 9 by the military court, upon payment of bail... $21 each.

A judicial source explains the leniency of these sentences by noting that previously, individuals in possession of rifles and pistols were not even subject to arrest. The source notes that such measures were adopted following the Council of Cabinet’s decision of March 2, which now considers Hezbollah's activities illegal.

Coinciding with the hearing of the two individuals accused of transporting rockets, a sit-in is being organized by a group of lawyers close to Hezbollah, the “National Jurists” (al-Huquqiyoun al-Wataniyoun). This group considers that "the prosecution against the resistance fighters is a flagrant violation of the law," deeming that these individuals "are sacrificing themselves for Lebanon and its people."