4 Palestinians detained in 2007 released on bail

Four Palestinian men were released on bail Monday, some five years after they were detained over alleged ties to the Al-Qaeda-inspired militant Fatah al-Islam group. Alaa Mussa, Mohammad Mussa, Mahmoud Darwish and Saieed Saieed were handed to General Security pending the finalization of paperwork, a routine all non-Lebanese must undergo. Each of the men paid LL500,000. The move comes nearly one month after Islamists arrested in connection with the same case were released on bail. The fines for the Islamists released in June were paid by the office of Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Around 180 Islamists were detained by authorities in light of deadly armed clashes between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese Army which reduced the northern Palestinian Refugee Camp of Nahr al-Bared to rubble in summer 2007. Most remain in prison without charge or trial. The first batch of detainees was released in June following numerous sit-ins held by their relatives, who protested slow trial procedures. The families escalated their protests after Fayez Karam, a senior official in Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, was released in April after serving less than two years for collaboration with Israel. Karam benefited from a law that reduces the prison year to nine months.