Lebanon sentences extremist Sunni cleric to life in prison

Lebanon sentences extremist Sunni cleric to life in prison

2010-11-13 11:18:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIRUT, LEBANON (BNO NEWS) -- Omar Bakri Mohammad, an extremist Sunni cleric, was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of terrorism charges, local media reported.

Bakri was convicted of inciting violence committed by Sunni Muslim militants during an attack on Lebanese Army soldiers in 2007. The attacks took place before the Nahr al-Bared conflict in which 169 soldiers, 287 insurgents and 47 civilians were killed.

"I am innocent and I will not go to jail," Bakri said from his Tripoli home. He has fifteen days to appeal and I will appeal this unfair verdict."

In addition, 54 men from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Saudi Arabia were sentenced to different prison terms for undermining Lebanese authority and inciting murder, looting and vandalism by possessing explosive devices.

"Some of the convicted helped transport terrorists to a residential apartment in Tripoli and provided them with weapons to kill soldiers and civilians and to attempt killing others. They also helped criminals escape justice and they provided them with food and shelter," authorities said.

Bakri said on Friday that he has not been contacted by authorities regarding his sentence and remarked that he will not spend the rest of his life in prison. He added that he has always been against violence.

The Sunni cleric, who has joint Lebanese-Syrian citizenship, was a member of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir in Lebanon. Later on he founded the now-disbanded Al-Muhajiroun group while in the United Kingdom.

Bakri spent 20 years in the UK before returning to Lebanon in 2005. He has 15 days to appeal the court’s ruling. If he appeals, he must present himself to judicial authorities and he will be tried again.

"I can't challenge as I cannot deal with any man-made law in this country or abroad," he said. "It is better for me to go to jail than to be a prisoner to man-made laws. Put me in front of an Islamic court, and of course I would be innocent of wrongdoing."

The extremist Sunni cleric said that his conviction was made as the Lebanese government is trying to please the United States. Furthermore he called the case against him as a political accusation.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-13