Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Brother of Accused Egyptian Hezbollah Member says Brother Not Connected to Sabotage | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Asharq Al-Awsat-The Egyptian office of the Attorney-General has detained the 49 individuals arrested in the case which has been dubbed “Hezbollah in Egypt” for a period of 15 days pending investigation. The 49 individuals arrested are said to be 41 Egyptians, 7 Palestinians, and 1 Lebanese national. After the period of 15 days the detainees will be transferred for questioning. If formal charges are brought against the accused and they are convicted in court, they may receive sentences of up to 25 years imprisonment.

Asharq Al-Awsat contacted the brother of the prime suspect in the case, Sami Shehab, in Beirut. Hassan Shehab informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “There is a fabrication. My brother [Sami] has no connection to bombings or acts of sabotage, he has been detained since 19 November [2008]. Which is more than one month and ten days before the Israeli aggression on Gaza began [Gaza War]. The charges against him are of cooperation with the Palestinian resistance, and smuggling weapons into Gaza.”

Hassan Shehab refused to reveal any information about his brother, who has a Lebanese wife, saying that Hezbollah would be issuing a statement. He did inform Asharq Al-Awsat that “we knew that he was in support of the Palestinian resistance and the intifada. We do not want the media to make inquiries about him, for the family does not know much about this subject.”

Asharq Al-Awsat yesterday entered the apartment of Sami Shehab, who is 39-years old, and spoke to his landlord and a number of witnesses who revealed that Shehab smoked cigarettes and did not receive many visitors, and also that Shehab’s arrest did not take place inside the building. Shehab lived at apartment 26 of building no.15 on Haroon Street in the district of Dokki in Cairo, close to a number of embassies, hotels, and important government buildings.