Mohammed al-Hac Hassan, leader of the “Free Shiite Movement”, said on Friday the kidnapping was an “international crime”.
“The Lebanese people are tired of such acts committed by these men who don’t have ethical, religious, or legal constraints,” a statement by Hassan said. “They scare people away, restrict their freedoms and violate their rights.” The group that kidnapped the two Turkish Airlines pilots, “Visitors of Imam Reza”, allegedly holds Turkey responsible for the abduction of eleven Lebanese pilgrims near the Turkey-Syria border last year in May. Hassan called on the families of the pilgrims to “refrain from what’s against their own values”, while urging the Lebanese president and chief of staff to take action against the group, which Hassan described as an “armed terrorist organization.” Murat Akpinar and Murat Agca of Turkish Airlines (THY) were traveling to their hotel in Beirut following a flight from Istanbul when their bus was stopped in early morning on Friday by gunmen, who forced all passengers off the bus, captured the two pilots and let the rest go free. The Visitors of Imam Reza are reportedly demanding the release of the rest of the Lebanese pilgrims as a condition to free the pilots.
Türkiye Newspaper
