Court ruling for re-trial of accused in the murder of Eliane Saftali

The State Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Saqr Saqr appealed for cassation against an earlier ruling in the killing of Eliane Saftali demanding re-trial of the accused, Hassan Hamiyeh. Saqr decided that the verdict was null and void and therefore should be repeated. To recall, Saftali was shot dead by mistake on January 12, 2015, outside a nightclub in Kaslik area north of Beirut. It should be noted, that the first Military Investigative Judge, Riad Abu Ghida, has issued an accusatory verdict maintaining that Hamiyeh’s act is a felony of wrongful death punished according to Penal Code Article 550 which stipulates that “anyone who takes the life of another person by negligence or lack of precaution or observance of prevalent laws and regulations is punished with imprisonment from 6 months up to 3 years.” Abu Ghida also issued an arrest warrant and accusation against the defendant in line with Article 72 on Weapons and Munitions. As such, the penalty for the possession or transfer of weapons and ammunition without permit should be not less than one month in prison and neither should the arm bearer be sentenced with probation in the case of using carried weaponry. (L’Orient Le Jour, February 28, 2017)