American accused of human rights violations freed in Lebanon

03/19/2020 - 20:45 PM

Jason Boutros


Washington - 


New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement that she had spoken with Amer Fakhoury on the phone soon after his release.

Lebanese officials alleged that Fakhoury, 57, of Dover, New Hampshire, who had been jailed since September, was responsible for the killings and abuse of prisoners in Lebanon as part of an Israeli-backed militia two decades ago.

His case had put a significant strain on already troubled ties between the US and Lebanon. Lawmakers in Washington had threatened to withhold critical aid to the country and impose sanctions on the Lebanese military, which is seen by the Trump administration as a bulwark against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement.



Hours before Shaheen announced Fakhoury's release a US Marine Osprey was seen landing at the US Embassy in Beirut.

Fakhoury was ordered released on Monday because more than 10 years had passed since he allegedly tortured prisoners at a jail run by the South Lebanon Army militia. But he was not immediately allowed to leave the country after a Lebanese military judge on Tuesday appealed the decision, asking the Military Court of Appeals to strike down the decision to free Fakhoury.


Fakhoury is a former SLA member who became a US citizen last year. His case has been closely followed in New Hampshire, where Shaheen and other officials have called for imposing sanctions on Lebanon to pressure Beirut to release him.










The Associated Press




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