Lebanon to decide ‘soon’ on fate of Australian film crew

Share:
Sally Faulkner with her children Lahela and Noah. Photo: Facebook
Sally Faulkner with her children Lahela and Noah. Photo: Facebook

Lebanese authorities are expected to decide soon on whether a four-member Australian film crew will face charges in connection with a plot to kidnap two children in a child-custody dispute, Australia’s foreign minister said on Saturday.

Lebanese police have detained the four Australians and accused them of involvement in the kidnapping of the two children from their Lebanese father on behalf of their Australian mother.

“At this stage we understand they are still being held in detention and the question of charges is an issue that will be determined shortly,” foreign minister Julie Bishop told reporters.

The crew members were making a film about the mother’s efforts to recover her children for the Australian current affairs show “60 Minutes”.

“I cannot understate the seriousness with which the Lebanese authorities are viewing the case but we’re doing all we can to maintain contact with all of the parties involved,” Bishop said.

The Australian mother was also in detention in Lebanon, media has reported.

“Given the sensitivities of this case and the fact children are involved, we are handling this very carefully,” Bishop said.

Lebanese Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk was quoted on Thursday as saying the crew were “involved in abducting the two children and detained in respect of their participation in the kidnapping operation”.

CCTV footage broadcast on Lebanese TV had appeared to show the two children, who the father said were aged five and three, being bundled into a car by several attackers on a busy street in southern Beirut. The children’s grandmother told media she had been hit on the head with a pistol during the abduction.

Lebanese media reported on Friday that Brisbane woman Sally Faulkner had been detained and her children returned to their father.

father of the children Ali el Amien
father of the children Ali el Amien. Photo: Facebook

Lebanese father won’t push for charges
The Lebanese father of the two children, Ali el Amien, says he  was disappointed  with  the attempted abduction  but won’t push for charges against their Australian mother.

He has been reunited with his children.

el-Amien also said he had access to his ex-wife’s emails and knew that a recovery operation was being planned.

Faulkner claims her ex-husband refused to bring them back to Australia after taking them on holiday to Beirut.

She has long hoped to get her children back to Australia.

Fairfax is reporting that Faulkner has left a three-month-old baby, who she had this year with her new husband, Brendan Pierce, to travel to Lebanon to recover two children from a previous marriage.

Humane way

On Saturday, Sydney doctor and Muslim leader Jamal Rifi confirmed he had interceded.

Dr Rifi, whose brother Ashraf Rifi is the Lebanese Justice Minister, said he had taken the initiative to call contacts within the justice authorities.

“My only involvement is to make sure the Australian people are being looked after in a humane way,” he said.

Channel 9 

Lebanese authorities reportedly have evidence that Channel Nine paid for the abduction of two children.

The authorities say they have a signed statement from a member of the ‘recovery team’ who says Channel Nine paid $115,000 for the operation, reported the ABC

 

REUTERS AND SKY NEWS

Share:

Comments

10 responses to “Lebanon to decide ‘soon’ on fate of Australian film crew”

  1. Reasonableman Avatar
    Reasonableman

    Ya ashraf your brother jamal is at it again, nobody appointed him as muslim leader nor community spokesperson please tell him to stop his narcissistic ways.

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Sounds like the Father kidnapped them first. Does anyone have the whole story?
    These things are saddest for the kids …

    1. Reasonableman Avatar
      Reasonableman

      Yeah, father says mother knew that father was taken them forever but she only raised the alarm when he stopped paying for some finances.

      Mother says that she was told they are only going for a short time.

      She knows the law of the land, plus 60minutes reporters are notorious for botched kidnappings like this, yes this was mafia style kidnap. I hope they get the full weight of the law.

      Have you seen the video?

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        Nope. I don’t get channel 9.

        1. 5thDrawer Avatar
          5thDrawer

          And ‘Law of Lebanon’ is only for males … trick now is for her & kids to escape Lebanon.

  3. Michaelinlondon1234 Avatar
    Michaelinlondon1234

    Kidnapping is kidnapping. Irrespective of what the reason for it was.
    It sounds like the whole lot should go to jail and the children taken in to care.

    1. Anita Rosey Avatar
      Anita Rosey

      No the father ought to be put into jail. He started this mess. The children are Australian citizens and born and ought to be sent back home to australia. He kidnapped them. He abused our secular laws and used them to his advantage knowingly going to a country where women really have no right. Two beautiful children will miss out on the warmth, live and care only a mother can give. No grandmother will ever compensate for that and the safety issue. Omfg, that place is volatile. If I had kids there and had the opportunity to send them to safer lands I would let them go as far away as possible

  4. Anita Rosey Avatar
    Anita Rosey

    Who wants to grow up with sectarian violence around them? And to learn to mistrust your fellow human being, he has no sense about what’s fair to his children? Only his utter sense of him only coming first. His children in my opinion will not think highly of him at all, bit even “not pressing charges” they will still think what i

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *