Lebanese court adjourns terror trial due to absent prisoner freed in swap

A Monday court session for 23 Islamists charged with terrorism was adjourned until next year due to the absence of a prisoner who was released last week in a swap deal between the Lebanese government and the Nusra Front.

The session was attended by most of the prisoners, including prominent militants Naim Abbas and Jamal Daftardar, but was adjourned to May 20, 2016 due to the absence of Joumana Hmeid.

The presiding judge asked for Hmeid to be notified of the new court date and urged her to attend.

Abbas, Daftardar and Hmeid were all charged with belonging to militant groups and involvement in deadly car bomb and rocket attacks that targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut and other areas of Lebanon in 2013 and 2014.

Hmeid was arrested in February 2014 near the northeastern border town of Arsal along with two other women, who were later released, for driving a car rigged with explosives.

She was among 23 Islamist prisoners from Lebanon and Syria swapped on Dec. 1 in exchange for 16 Lebanese servicemen who had been held hostage by the Nusra Front for 16 months on Arsal’s outskirts.