Qatar has appointed a security official to follow up on the case of the Lebanese kidnapped in Syria, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Thursday.
“The meetings [with Qatari officials] led to the appointment of a Qatari security official to follow up on the case with the head of General Security Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim,” Charbel’s press office quoted him as saying upon his return from a two-day visit to Doha.
In a chat with The Daily Star, Charbel declined to name the official.
He added that Ibrahim will prepare a file on the nine Lebanese, who were kidnapped by rebel groups on May 22, and will include the outcome of talks the government’s ministerial committee has launched.
Ibrahim is expected to return to Qatar next week to resume the meetings and present the file.
Charbel’s visit to Doha came after relatives of the kidnapped held several protests in recent weeks as part of a series of steps aimed at adding pressure on anti-Assad countries to secure the release of the Shiite pilgrims.
The relatives have protested outside the Qatari and Turkish diplomatic missions in Lebanon and vowed to continue protests.
Ankara has said it is still exerting efforts to secure the release of the Lebanese pilgrims who were kidnapped in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo shortly after crossing from Turkey.
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were originally kidnapped but two – Hussein Ali Omar and Awad Ibrahim – have so far been released.
According to Charbel’s office, the minister and Ibrahim met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani as well as Interior Minister Sheikh Abdallah Bin Naser Bin Kahlifah Al-Thani.
Charbel described the meetings in Qatar as "fruitful.”
“The Qatari side expressed interest in the case of the Lebanese kidnapped in Syria after explaining to them in details this humanitarian case and the result of our efforts.”
Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army will resume its mediation efforts to win the release of the pilgrims held by Syrian rebels, following of an intervention by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, an FSA official said Wednesday.
“A delegation of leading figures from the Free Syrian Army will head to Azaz to work on freeing the kidnapped [pilgrims] on the request of former Prime Minister Hariri,” FSA official Louay Meqdad told Future TV.
Future Movement MP Oqab Saqr said Hariri and FSA officials were eager to continue mediation to secure the hostages’ freedom.
