Report: Lebanon sentences 'Israeli spy' to 7 years

Beirut's media reports man convicted of aiding Israel sentences to sever years of prison and hard labor, but escapes death penalty

Ynet |Published: 12.22.11 , 08:30

A Lebanese military court has sentences a man convicted of spying for Israel to seven years of prison and hard labor, Ynet learned Thursday. The prosecution asked the court to sentence him to death.

Charbel Qazzi, an executive at Lebanon's state-owned mobile phone company, was arrested in June of 2010 and indicted for espionage.

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The prosecution said that the information he allegedly gave his handlers helped Israel during the Second Lebanon War.

Lebanese authorities have arrested over 100 people on espionage charges since 2009.

Qazzi's arrest led to a series of other arrests of telecommunication officials who were suspected of spying for Israel. Several of them are facing trial, and if the prosecution gets its way – a death penalty.