Two Hezbollah members have been ordered detained after questioning by a Lebanese military judge over a truckload of explosives seized at a checkpoint in eastern Lebanon about a month ago.
Ali al-Kurdi and Haitham Amhaz appeared before First Military Investigating Judge Ghada Abu Alwan, who issued arrest warrants for both men following a hearing attended by their lawyer, Maan al-Asaad.
The warrants stem from charges brought by Judge Claude Ghanem, the government commissioner to the military court, against the two men and 11 other Hezbollah members who remain at large.
The charges include offenses against internal state security, violating government decisions, possessing weapons and explosives, and forming "illegal associations" aimed at undermining the state's authority and prestige.
The explosives-laden truck was intercepted at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint in eastern Lebanon.
Probe Enters New Phase
The questioning marks a turning point in the case, shifting it from preliminary investigations to formal judicial proceedings and bringing sharper scrutiny to three central questions: Where did the explosives come from, where were they headed and who was responsible for transporting them?
Asaad has also been authorized to represent Hezbollah members and operatives who remain at large, including Ibrahim Hussein, known as "Sajed"; Bilal al-Sabbouri, known as "Dhul Fiqar"; Mohammed Ayoub; Mohammed Zaiter; Mohammed Hazimeh, the truck's owner; and Perina Krishiona, Amhaz's wife.
Five other suspects have been identified only by aliases, with their full identities still unknown. Asaad filed preliminary procedural objections on behalf of the fugitives.
Despite the strict secrecy surrounding the questioning, a judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Kurdi and Amhaz stood by their initial statements to army intelligence, insisting they knew neither the explosives' destination nor their intended use.
The source said the men told Abu Alwan their role was limited to collecting the explosives from "Sajed" in Baalbek, in the Bekaa Valley, and delivering them to "Dhul Fiqar" in Musharrafieh, in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Key Questions Remain Unanswered
The detainees' denials leave critical questions unresolved, particularly the shipment's destination, the circumstances of its transportation and the purpose for which the explosives were intended.
Legal sources following the case said the men's claims of ignorance were not enough to settle the question of responsibility.
"The statements of Kurdi and Amhaz are now being assessed by the investigating judge against all the evidence and information in the case file," the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
One potentially significant piece of evidence has yet to reach the judge.
Abu Alwan is still awaiting records of the preliminary investigation conducted by the Internal Security Forces' Information Branch, which analyzed mobile phones belonging to Kurdi, Amhaz and his wife.
The phones are expected to contain important information, the sources said, raising the possibility that Abu Alwan could summon the two detainees for further questioning about material recovered from the devices.
Legal Challenge Delays Questioning of Fugitives
Meanwhile, Asaad filed preliminary procedural objections on behalf of the defendants who remain at large, delaying their questioning until Nov. 17.
Legal sources said the filing was intended to delay formally notifying the defendants and the issuance of arrest warrants in absentia if they refuse to appear for questioning, as expected.
Details of the objections and their legal grounds were not immediately available.
Abu Alwan referred the filing to Ghanem for review and an opinion before ruling on the objections.
