Beirut, Lebanon – In an exceptional session marked by signs of extreme exhaustion, the most wanted Lebanese man, Noah Zeaiter, known as the “Hashish Baron,” appeared before the Permanent Military Court, headed by Brigadier General Wassim Fayyad, to be tried in dozens of security and misdemeanor cases that have accumulated over decades.
Session 1: Trial from a seated position
Zaiter entered the courtroom in a deteriorating health condition; he appeared unable to stand and almost fell to the ground as a result of the “weakness and exhaustion” caused by his ongoing hunger strike.
This situation prompted the head of the court to request a chair for himself so that he could follow the interrogation, which lasted about half an hour, during which Zeaiter defended himself against 42 misdemeanor charges dating back to 1992.
The outcome of the rulings: limited convictions and broad statute of limitations
The military court issued its rulings in 40 cases, and the results were as follows:
Conviction: He was sentenced to one month in prison for each file in only 4 cases (a total of 4 months).
With the confiscation of the seized weapons, equipment, and wireless devices.
Acquittal: He was acquitted in 3 cases due to insufficient evidence.
Dismissal of prosecution: The penalty against him was dropped in 33 cases due to the “dismissal of prosecution by the passage of time” (statute of limitations).
Postponement: The court postponed two misdemeanor and major felony cases (murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking) to a session on May 5.
A single admission and a firm denial of the charges
The minutes of the session recorded a single admission by Zeaiter, in which he admitted to firing shots in the air “only during the funeral procession of army martyrs and with prior permission.”
While he denied the rest of the charges against him, he described the witnesses against him as “outcasts and lunatics”.
Zaiter revealed that he “voluntarily surrendered himself” to get rid of what he described as “the chaos and incitement,” denying his involvement in any major international trafficking or cases of stealing bags and bicycles.
He also denied owning any office in the Sharawneh neighborhood of Baalbek, saying: “Every raid on the neighborhood is blamed on me.”
Session conclusion
At the end of the session, Zeaiter asked the court for “certain acquittal,” requesting to be transferred to another building in the prison due to his deteriorating health condition.
Meanwhile, legal circles are awaiting the next May session, which will address the most serious crimes and could determine his fate for many years to come.
