Berri Stresses No Cover Will Be Provided to Thugs: Rome Talks Need Further Discussion

Speaker Nabih Berri condemned on Wednesday the attack against the four Dar al-Fatwa sheikhs on Sunday, demanding that the harshest of punishments be laid down against the perpetrators.

He said during his weekly meeting with lawmakers at his Ain el-Tineh residence that no cover will be provided to the thugs who assaulted the clerics.

He praised the role of officials, the army, judiciary, and security forces in containing the repercussions on the incident and averting strife.

A number of youths assaulted on Sunday two sheikhs in Beirut's Khandaq al-Ghamiq neighborhood, while two others were also attacked on the Shiyyah area.

Angry demonstrators soon took to the streets and blocked roads with burning tires to protest the assault.

Seven people have so far been arrested over links to the attack and investigations are ongoing to uncover their accomplices.

Berri stressed the need to fortify the internal Lebanese scene and bolster national unity “to confront the critical phase Lebanon is passing through in light of the dangerous developments in the region.”

He therefore highlighted the need to set as a priority the security situation in the country, calling for supporting the army and security forces in protecting stability and civil peace.

The speaker also discussed with the lawmakers the details of his talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Rome.

The three officials addressed a new parliamentary electoral law, with Berri saying that the talks “need further discussion.”

Miqati had hinted on Monday that the three officials had reached an agreement over a hybrid electoral law, which al-Rahi will propose before Christian powers upon his return to Lebanon.

The speaker, premier, and patriarch were in Rome earlier this week to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Francis I.

Berri later held talks on Wednesday with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel on the security situation in Lebanon in light of the attack against the four sheikhs.

The minister said that the speaker insisted that the case “be followed through until the very end.”

He demanded that the judiciary take a firm approach in dealing with the affair.

Moreover, Berri stressed the need to uncover the sides who prompted the youths to carry out the attack and hold them accountable for their actions.