Lebanon charges six more with spying for Israel
Six Lebanese nationals were formally charged on Wednesday with spying for Israel, including four suspects in custody, a judicial source said.
Those charged include a police officer and his wife and sister, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said the charges range from travelling to Israel to supplying the Jewish state with information on both people and places. The charges bring to 13 the number of people formally accused of spying for Israel.
Last month saw the arrest of former brigadier general Adib al-Aalam, his wife Hayat Saloumi and nephew Joseph Aalam on suspicion of spying for the Jewish state for more than 15 years.
If convicted of espionage, the defendants face the death penalty in Lebanon, which is technically in a state of war with Israel.
A number of other suspects, including the owner of a petrol station and a butcher, are in custody but have yet to be charged as part of a crackdown on spy rings since the start of 2009.
A Hezbollah official from south Lebanon, from where most of the suspected spies hail, on Monday said the Shiite party was cooperating with the authorities on dismantling the spy networks.
"Hezbollah has uncovered many Israeli spy rings and is cooperating completely with all official security services," Hezbollah”s Nabil Qawuk told AFP.
A number of those currently in custody were first detained by Hezbollah which then handed them over to Lebanese authorities.