Twelve jailed for Israel collaboration
A Lebanese military court has jailed 12 people for collaboration and contact with Israel during its occupation of the country.
The court jailed the defendants for between three weeks and life but dropped charges against five others for lack of evidence.
Lebanon, which is technically at war with Israel, bans any dealings or contacts with the Jewish state. No appeals are allowed.
The court sentenced Faris Kassis in absentia to life in prison at hard labour for working with a security branch of a former Israeli-allied militia and torturing a Lebanese man after kidnapping him in the former Israeli-occupied border zone in south Lebanon.
Two brothers were also sentenced in absentia to 15 years in jail and fined two million Lebanese pounds (£930) each for joining the South Lebanon Army, the Israeli-backed militia that helped Israel police its occupation zone.
The militia collapsed after Israel withdrew its troops from south Lebanon last May, ending an 18-year occupation.
The court sentenced one defendant to seven years in prison for collaborating with the Israeli military police and another defendant to one year in jail for serving with the SLA.
Four defendants received six-month prison terms for joining the militia, while another three defendants were sentenced to three weeks in jail for entering Israel, according to the court statement.
Another defendant was fined 500,000 pounds (£230) for visiting Israel.
Since June, the military court has sentenced nearly 2,300 people to jail terms of up to 25 years. Hundreds more are awaiting trial.
