The relatives of the Islamist inmates at Roumieh prison gathered Saturday outside the residence of Justice Minister Major General Ashraf Rifi to protest over the release of former Information Minister Michel Samaha.
Earlier today, the protesters staged a sit-in outside the Military Court, demanding the concerned sides to issue amnesty to the Islamist prisoners on the backdrop of the Military Court’s decision to release Samaha.
Former Minister Michel Samaha who is close to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was released on bail after serving a jail term for smuggling explosives into Lebanon from Syria and planning attacks.
Samaha was sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison in May, having been detained since August 2012.
The Military Court released him on bail secured by LBP 150 million.
The decision, which triggered a chain of reactions among the politicians, sparked outrage among supporters of March 14 parties, as well as relatives of Islamist inmates, as protests have been staged across Lebanon to denounce Samaha’s release.