Judge Sakr refers Hussein al-Hjairy to the permanent military court

Government commissioner to the Military Court Judge Sakr Sakr received on Tuesday Hussein al-Hjairy, who was arrested on charges of kidnapping seven Estonian cyclists in 2011 and attacking the LAF members in Arsal and Ras Baalbeck, and referred him to the permanent military court.

Earlier in May, the Intelligence Branch of the Internal Security Forces arrested al-Hjairy, who is also wanted for the murder of Information Branch Sgt. Maj. Rashed Sabri, a security source reported.

Sabri and a main suspect in the kidnapping, Darwish Khanjar, were killed in a shootout in the border village of Majdal Anjar in April 2011.

Al-Hjairi is also a suspect in the killing of Sergeant Elias Nasrallah whose patrol came under fire by armed men at the Jlala bridge-Chtaura in the Western Bekaa in September 2011, the source added.

The seven Estonians were kidnapped on the 23rd of March 2011 by armed men as they entered the country on a bicycle tour from neighboring Syria, and freed in July 2011 amid unclear circumstances.