Lebanon seeks death for 'Israeli telecoms spy'
AFP
BEIRUT- A Lebanese military prosecutor on Tuesday sought the death penalty for a technician at a mobile phone network accused of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, a judicial source said.
"Prosecutor Sakr Sakr is seeking to put Charbel Azzi on death row on charges he entered enemy territory, collaborated with Israel and provided it with information," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, and convicted spies face life in prison with hard labour or the death penalty if found guilty of contributing to Lebanese loss of life.
Azzi, an employee at Lebanon's Alfa mobile service provider, was arrested last month as part of a national crackdown on suspected Israeli espionage rings launched in April 2009.
MP Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Shiite militant group Hezbollah and head of parliament's information and telecommunications committee, said Azzi had been giving Israel "vital information" on Lebanese communications and security for 14 years.
Lebanon has arrested more than 70 people since last year on suspicion of spying for Israel, including members of the country's security forces.
Israel has not commented on the arrests.
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Azzi, an employee at Lebanon's Alfa mobile service provider, was arrested last month as part of a national crackdown on suspected Israeli espionage rings launched in April 2009.
MP Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Shiite militant group Hezbollah and head of parliament's information and telecommunications committee, said Azzi had been giving Israel "vital information" on Lebanese communications and security for 14 years.
Lebanon has arrested more than 70 people since last year on suspicion of spying for Israel, including members of the country's security forces.
Israel has not commented on the arrests.
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