Charges over Lebanon riot deaths

12/02/2008| IslamWeb

Lebanese prosecutors have charged 19 soldiers, including three officers, over the fatal shooting of opposition protesters during riots last month.

Seven protesters were killed on 27 January in a mainly Shia suburb during protests over power cuts.

Correspondents say the shootings raised tensions in Lebanon, already in a deep political crisis, to new levels.

The indictment says six victims were killed by army bullets. An enquiry is ongoing to find who killed the seventh.

Lebanon has been without a president since 23 November due to divisions between the pro-Western ruling majority and pro-Syrian opposition.

A parliamentary vote to elected a new leader was delayed for a 14th time on Monday.

Rival Lebanese factions have agreed in principle to elect army chief Gen Michel Suleiman, but have repeatedly disagreed over constitutional details and the make-up of the cabinet.

The army has been seen as one of the country's most neutral institutions, but a BBC correspondent in Beirut says the latest killings threaten to draw it into the conflict.

PHOTO CAPTION

Aftermath of riot