15 members from Al-Meqdad transferred to Roumieh prison

15 members from al-Meqdad clan were transferred to Roumieh prison, the oldest and largest of Lebanon's overcrowded prisons, media reports said on Saturday. LBCI reported that the 15 members include the clan's spokesman Maher al-Meqdad and Hassan al-Meqdad. On Friday, Military Tribunal Judge Imad al-Zein issued arrest warrants against Maher and Hassan and another Lebanese man, Tarek Sultan, after being charged with forming an armed group. The trial of the al-Meqdad clan members and Sultan was postponed until investigations are complete and witnesses are questioned. State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Thursday the three men with forming an armed group to carry out terrorist activities. The three men were also charged with kidnapping and terrorizing people with the force of arms, responding violently to security forces and the ownership of unlicensed weapons and explosives. The Army has lately arrested several al-Meqdad family members, including the clan's spokesman Maher, during raids on Beirut's southern suburbs and other areas. The raids came after the clan went on an abduction spree of Syrians and Turkish nationals to avenge the kidnapping of family member Hassan al-Meqdad in Damascus last month. Since then, the clan has freed the Turkish businessman, Tekin Tufan, and several other