Israeli court orders Lebanese detainees released

April 15, 2000
Web posted at: 1:23 a.m. EDT (0523 GMT)

In this story: Moves to end coercive policies Two other detainees not released RELATED STORIES, SITES

JERUSALEM -- In a landmark decision, Israel's High Court has ordered the government to release 13 Lebanese detainees that have been held, some for more than 10 years, as bargaining chips for the release of missing Israeli troops.

Overturning its own earlier ruling, the court declared it unacceptable that anyone not considered a security threat be held without being charged.

"You can't just hold people who don't have any direct responsibility and hold them just as hostages," said Zvi Rish, a lawyer for the Lebanese detainees.

"We can manage without illegal means. We can do that," Rish added. "It's much easier to be the bully guy in the neighborhood. But we can manage without these means."

Israel says the men were held with the hope of using them to gain information about -- and possibly secure the return of -- an air force navigator, Ron Arad, shot down over Lebanon in 1986.

Arad was known to have been a prisoner of Lebanese Muslim factions, but Israeli officials have not had definitive information about him for a decade.

Two detainees are senior officials of guerrilla groups and are unlikely to be released

The order to release the detainees has been welcomed by those who see the release as part of moves to end coercive policies that were justified by the "security is all" outlook.

"For many years we have been under threat of security problems," said Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin. "Be it wars or terrorism or other problems, Israel is becoming more and more normal a country, where even these issues are not the only one component of the decision-making process."

Relatives of the missing servicemen criticized the ruling and accused the court of betraying their sons.

Knesset member Uzi Landau also criticized the decision.

"A country like Israel has to maintain every reasonable tool in order to free its POWs and MIAs. Having your enemy's soldiers in your hands is an important and effective tool to do this," he said.

Two high-ranking guerrilla officials, Hezbollah cleric Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid and Mustaphafa Dirani of the Amal movement, were not mentioned in the petition to the court and will not be released.

Israel says the detainees are being held for information about air force navigator Ron Arad, who was shot down over Lebanon

Dirani was taken from his home in Lebanon in 1994. Israeli commandos abducted Obeid from his house in 1989.

"They are dangerous men and releasing them would be a big mistake," Beilin said.

The court gave the Israeli army until Monday to release the other 13 detainees and the lawyer for the men said he will be taking up the case of Obeid and Dirani.

Correspondent Jerrold Kessel and Reuters contributed to this report.

Welcome to the Knesset - The Israeli Parliament
CIA -- The World Factbook 1999 -- Israel
CIA -- The World Factbook 1999 -- Lebanon

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