Hezbollah members accused of deliberately killing an Irish soldier in southern Lebanon: Judicial source to AFP

The military judiciary accused on Thursday five members of Hezbollah, one of whom is in custody, of intentional murder in the attack on a patrol of the Irish battalion serving in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, which resulted in the killing of an Irish soldier, a judicial source told Agence France-Presse.

The indictment issued by the First Military Investigative Judge, Fadi Sawwan, accused individuals affiliated with Hezbollah of "forming a criminal group and executing a single criminal project."
He confirmed that the actions of the detained individual, Mohammad Ayyad, and four fugitives from justice fall under the fifth paragraph of Article 549 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which states that "if a crime is committed against a public official while performing their duties, or in connection with their duties, or because of their duties, the perpetrator shall be punished by death."

The decision, which spans thirty pages and was seen by the Agence France-Presse, concludes that the individuals mentioned are guilty of "intentional murder." 
They have all been referred to the military court for trial. Judge Sawwan also handed a copy of the indictment to the UNIFIL force.

 

AFP