REPORT: Perpetrators of Tal and al-Bahsas crimes sentenced to death, protests erupt in Tripoli

The Supreme Judicial Council, headed by Judge Jean Fahed, issued on Tuesday the verdict in the case of Tal and al-Bahsas crimes in Tripoli that took place on the 13th of August 2008 and left several killed and injured.              

In this context, the verdict issued included a death sentence against Abdel Ghani Jawhar, Obeid Moubarak Abdel Qafil, Ossama al-Chahabi, Ghazy Abdallah and Abdel Rahman Awad for being fugitives from justice and 15 years of hard labor for Abdel Karm Mustafa, Rashid Mustafa, Tarek Merhi, Khaled al-Jaber, Mohammad Salim Khodor, Nader al-Ali, Hamza al-Qassem, Mohmmad Azzam and Ayman al-Hendawi.            

Protests in Tripoli against Judicial Council’s decision

Following the issuance of the verdict, a number of residents staged a rally from outside al-Amira mosque in Tripoli and opened fire in the air, while protesters clashed with the army at Abdel Hamid Karami Square where security forces fired teargas to disperse the demonstrators.                    

Later in the day, a number of people staged a sit-in outside the residence of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Tripoli to denounce the verdicts issued by the Judicial Council.                  

For his part, the brother of one of the convicted, Ahmad Merhi told LBCI that the protesters headed to Mikati’s residence to express their opinion, adding that on Monday night they were told that “Tarek Merhi was innocent, and were surprised by the sentence issued today.”                  

For their part, the scholars and sheikhs of Dar al-Fatwa condemned the security chaos taking place in Tripoli, holding the security apparatuses and the government responsible for letting Tripoli fall in the hands of armed gangs.


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