LEBANON: DEATH SENTENCE TO 4 CONVICTED OF COLLABORATING WITH ISRAEL

November 11, 2009: military judges in Lebanon issued death sentences to four people found guilty of collaborating with Israel. Two of the defendants were tried in absentia. The two who were present for the trial were a staff sergeant in the Lebanese internal security apparatus and his wife. The staff sergeant's sister and her husband, who were also sentenced to death, had apparently fled the country.
The four were found guilty of "knowingly conspiring with Israel, allowing it to launch an attack against Lebanon and to make contacts with its agents in Lebanon."
Lebanese authorities are holding up to 30 suspects in what security sources say is a widening investigation into espionage for Israel.
Senior Lebanese security officials have said the arrests have dealt a severe blow to Israel's spy networks in Lebanon.
They said many of the suspects played key roles in identifying Hezbollah targets that were bombed during a 34-day war between Israel and the Shiite group in 2006.
Others have been charged with monitoring senior Hezbollah officials and at least one is alleged to have played a role in the 2004 assassination of a commander of the group. (Sources: Ynetnews.com, 11/11/2009)