A British citizen, who also holds Israeli citizenship, was arrested in Beirut while taking photographs of the Ministry of Defense building in the south-eastern part of the Lebanese capital. He was suspected of spying for Israel, reports Metro.co.uk.
According to the publication, during his arrest, Lebanese security officials checked his mobile phone and found calls to Israel. The detainee was sent to a military prison in the Lebanese capital, where he remained for 12 days until his release last Wednesday evening. He was assisted by the British mission in Lebanon and the British Foreign Office.
According to Ynet, the release of the detainee was also made possible thanks to the intervention of lawyer Mordechai Tsivin, who deals with cases of Israelis and Arabs imprisoned abroad, as well as thanks to the help of an ultra-Orthodox Israeli billionaire who provided financial support.
According to Tsivin, the young man was held in prison in difficult conditions, with Syrian and Lebanese criminals, including two Hezbollah activists. He took off his kippah and tzitzit so that he would not be identified as a Jew. After the intervention of Lebanese friends of lawyer Tsivin, the detainee was transferred to more comfortable conditions and allowed to talk with his parents by phone.
A military court judge decided to release the detainee unconditionally, but due to the weekend and procedural issues, his departure was delayed until Friday, after which he was able to leave Lebanon.