Israel, March 20: A Lebanese military judge charged four people with spying for Israel and providing the Jewish state with details about the army and militant group Hezbollah, a judicial source said today.
“All four suspects are Lebanese and are charged with spying for Israel and providing information on civilian and military posts and on Hezbollah,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
Only two of the suspects were in custody, while the others were charged in absentia.
“One of those in custody confessed that he was in contact with two others, whom he says are currently in Israel,” the source said.
Lebanon launched a crackdown on espionage rings in April 2009, arresting dozens of suspected Israeli spies – some of them policemen and security officials equipped with sophisticated surveillance and communication gear.
Israel did not comment on the arrests.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war. Convicted spies face life in prison with hard labour or the death penalty if found guilty of contributing to Lebanese loss of life.
One of the most high-profile cases was that of Mahmud Qassem Rafeh, a 63-year-old retired member of Lebanon’s security services.
He was sentenced to death last month for having spied for Israel and for his involvement in the murder of brothers Mahmud and Nidal Mazjoub of the Islamic Jihad group.
—Agencies