(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A Lebanese military court sentenced ex-Lebanese minister Michel Samaha to four and a half years in prison for forming a group with plans to carry out terrorist attacks.
Samaha, 66, was arrested three years ago for smuggling explosives into Lebanon from neighboring Syria and allegedly creating a plot with Syria’s security chief, Ali Malmuk. Samaha confessed to the charges last month.
According to the National News Agency, the Lebanese military court ruled that Samaha would also be stripped of his civil rights, meaning that he could not serve in any government jobs or election.
Samaha previously served as the minister of information and tourism. He’s known for his pro-Assad government views, even serving as a former public relations advisor to Bashar Assad in Europe.
The U.S. government named Samaha a “global terrorist” under an executive order 13224 in December 2012. He has been in detention since August 2012.
Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said the sentence was a “travesty” of justice, adding that Samaha deserved a tougher punishment.
“This is a black day in the history of this court … what happened in the case is a disgrace, and we will do everything to amend the ruling,” Rifi said in a statement. “This is not a court. We will take legal measures.”
The head of Syria’s National Security Council, Brig. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, and a Syrian aide were also indicted in the case. Their case was separated from Samaha’s because they could not be brought to the court.
Samaha’s lawyer, Sakhr al-Hashem, said last month that his client denied any role in selecting targets for the planned attacks, which were said to target a Sunni Muslim lawmaker and Muslim holiday banquets. The plots were ultimately foiled by Lebanese authorities.
Lebanon’s intelligence chief, Wissam al-Hassan, who helped uncover the bombing plot, was assassinated in a car bomb in Beirut only months after Samaha’s indictment.