Delay in Investigating Sader’s Whereabouts Undermines State Authority
In a press release on Monday, the Lebanese Forces said it was unacceptable that no progress was made on the case of MEA employee Joseph Sader, who was kidnapped Thursday morning on his way to work.
The delay in revealing Sader’s fate would gradually undermine the state’s credibility and would destroy the citizens’ confidence in it, the LF noted.
The LF said that there was clear negligence on the security services’ part, as day four passed and no information was made available on Sader’s whereabouts or on the identity of the kidnappers. The LF also said that the security services should not to issue press releases denying their knowledge of Sader’s fate, but rather to take all measures needed to reveal it.
The LF added that Sader was kidnapped in a region controlled by a “known party,” which raised several questions. The party said that the kidnapping taking place at the entrance of the Beirut international airport, and the fact that the kidnapped person was an MEA employee, brought attention to the security measures taken in several “sensitive” areas.
Such an incident would tarnish Lebanon’s image, as well as its economy and tourism sector, the press release said.
The party concluded that it was crucial to try the kidnappers and those who motivated them.