23-4-2009

As-Safir newspaper reported on Thursday that the police of the UAE's Sharjah Emirate handed over Wednesday, Mohammad Zuheir Siddiq - a Syrian national who was the lead witness in the investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri- to the Central Security Authorities in the Abu Dhabi Emirate.

The paper reported that the decision was taken, because Saddiq's case was not that of a forged passport, "but touches the national security of the United Arab Emirates."

As-Safir added that the Central Security Authorities in the Abu Dhabi Emirate would make the final decision on whether to imprison Saddiq or hand him over to the Syrian authorities, something that hinged on Damascus submitting an official request to the UAE.