Felony Court defers Chez Maurice sex trafficking hearing

The Criminal Court of Baabda adjourned yesterday until 10/11/2017 the proceedings in the case of Chez Maurice sex trafficking ring which lured more than 75 Syrian girls into forced prostitution. The reasons for the delay were purportedly to assign attorneys for some of the defendants. The three-month postponement however, is due to the start of the judicial vacation soon. On the subject, lawyer Mouhana Isaac, explained to Al Akhbar newspaper that the hearing sessions before the Criminal Court should be public whereby all 26 defendants and their legal representatives should be present. The absence of any defendant delays the hearings, Isaac said, noting that this raises the question of obstruction and procrastination of trial procedurers in view of the impracticality of thorough representation of contingents and defendants. According to Isaac, all suspects were present at yesterday’s session but the Felony Court was forced to postpone the hearing because some of the accused parties asked for an attorney. However, “we are concerned that the defendants could be deliberately and regularly absenting themselves to dally the trial,” Isaac pointed out. It should be noted, that a number of lawyers voiced their concern about this, demanding an acceleration of the trials and a more serious handling of such a grave case. (Al Akhbar, July 8, 2017(

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