On Thursday, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah described sentences handed down by an Egyptian court on Hizbullah members operating in Egypt as “political” and “unjust,” adding that he would work to resolve the issue through diplomatic means.
“Our brothers are honest mujahedin [holy warriors], not terrorists as they were described by the court,” Nasrallah said. “Since when is helping the Palestinians in Gaza a crime?”
Addressing the imprisoned group members, the resistance leader said: “You were prepared to face death for the Palestinian cause, and should wear these sentences as a badge of honor.”
On Wednesday, the court sentenced 26 members of the group to jail terms ranging from six months to life imprisonment.
Lebanese affairs expert Refaat Ahmed expects the sentences to be eventually reduced.
“The Egyptian government might swap some of the prisoners with Egyptian prisoners in Lebanon,” he said. “But this would take at least a year of negotiations between Egypt and Hizbullah, with possible mediation by Syria.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
