In my Lebanon roundups, especially when the mass protests were going on, I referenced the online forum of an opposition group known as the Lebanese Forces. Their leader, Samir Geagea, was thrown in jail by the Syrians because of his work against them. Recently, there is a move to get him out.

A move is underway in parliament to get Lebanese Forces commander Samir Geagea released from jail before the spring elections, slain ex-premier Hariri’s Al Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Monday.
It said six parliament members have signed a proposed draft bill to amend the 1992 amnesty law on an emergency basis in order to have Geagea released from nearly 11 years in prison at the defense ministry jail in Yarze before the April-May election deadline.

The signatories are Fares Boueiz, Bassem al Sabaa, Akram Shehayyeb, Ala’ Terro, Nihmatallah Abi Nasr and George Kassarji. They are studying the proper timing for tabling the draft bill before the 128-member parliament, Al Mustaqbal said.

It implied that the draft would be submitted after a visit Geagea’s wife, Strida Geagea, plans to make to Speaker Berri in the near future.

Geagea’s release has long been an opposition precondition for finalizing a national reconciliation to remove the lingering aftermath of the 1975-1990 civil war. The return of Gen. Aoun from nearly 14 years in exile in France is also an opposition precondition.

Aoun, who heads the Free Patriotic Movement, has declared he would return home after the Syrian army and intelligence services complete their full withdrawal from Lebanon hopefully before the spring elections.

He’s been locked up for nearly 11 years, and mainly because the Syrians wanted him there. With them leaving, if he isn’t out before the elections, then most likely he’ll be out shortly after.