Lebanese authorities jailed Sunni scholar for life over alleged Islamic State affiliation

A Lebanese court sentenced a Sunni scholar to life and hard labour after finding him guilty of being affiliated with Islamic State, local media outlets reported.

Bassam Al-Tarras, the former mufti of the Rashya neighbourhood in Al-Beqaa District, was sentenced in absentia over his alleged ties to Islamic State, involvement in its operations and for encouraging others to join the militant group.

The court also convicted and sentenced Mohamed Al-Ahmed, who is known as Abu Youssef, and Mahmoud Rabei, a Syrian national.

The court ordered the arrest of all three defendants.

The ruling stirred outrage among Lebanese activists on social media, according to the regional news website Arabi21. Many accused authorities of bias toward the Shia Hezbollah and against Sunni scholars who criticise the government.

Source: MEM