Expanded meeting at the Tripoli Dar al-Fatwa: Parliamentary and religious move to push the general amnesty file toward approval

An expanded parliamentary and religious meeting was held at the Dar al-Fatwa of Tripoli and the North at the invitation and under the patronage of the Mufti of Tripoli and the North, Sheikh Mohammad Imam, devoted to discussing the file of detainees and the general amnesty law, with the participation of a number of MPs and religious, legal, and political figures.

The meeting was attended by a representative of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, alongside MPs Nabil Badr, Ashraf Rifi, Taha Naji, Karim Kabbara, Imad al-Hout, Ihab Matar, Ahmad al-Khair, Abdel Aziz al-Samad, Walid al-Baarini, Mohammad Suleiman, Yassin Yassin, and Mahmoud al-Natour representing MP Waddah al-Sadek, in addition to former MP Khaled al-Daher, Secretary of the Fatwa Sheikh Bilal Baroudi, and a number of sheikhs, lawyers, and public figures.

At the conclusion of the meeting, MP Ahmad al-Khair read the following statement:

"Today’s meeting at Dar al-Fatwa in Tripoli, following a gracious invitation from His Eminence Mufti Imam to the honorable MPs, was held to discuss all important conditions and local affairs, especially the file of the general amnesty law submitted by a number of fellow MPs. It was an extensive meeting that discussed this file and took decisions, including the formation of a committee of MPs to follow up on it. It was also agreed to form a committee of lawyers to draft the final amendments to the proposed law should it proceed to the general assembly of Parliament, in accordance with legal and constitutional frameworks."

He continued: "All those present stressed the importance of approving the general amnesty law, which is based on two fundamental principles. Everyone is already aware of the government’s position, represented by the Interior Minister through his participation in the deliberations of the joint committees. The Interior Minister addressed the issue of overcrowding, stressing that it is a time bomb that could explode in the face of the Lebanese state. Together, we affirmed that passing this law is more than necessary, and all the talk being circulated about obstructing this law or the possibility of not moving forward with it contradicts and runs counter to the truth, and contradicts and runs counter to the Sunni position. We are among the keenest to see this law pass in a natural manner, but we seek genuine justice for a category of detainees and convicts who were wronged during a period of history, and all political blocs acknowledged during the joint committee meetings the existence of this injustice. We also look responsibly at the issue of the martyrs, especially the martyrs of the Lebanese Army."

He concluded: "What is required, then, is that we look with one eye at the cause and rights of the martyrs of the Lebanese Army, and with the other at the fate of those upon whom injustice fell at an earlier time, so that justice may prevail."