Lebanon releases gunman who held up bank to demand access to trapped savings for ill father’s treatment

Lebanon releases gunman who held up bank to demand access to trapped savings for ill father’s treatment

The Lebanese man who took hostages in a bank, doused the place with petrol and threatened to kill himself if he was not permitted to access his trapped savings for his sick father’s medical treatment was released by authorities on Tuesday.

On 11 August, Bassam Al Sheikh Hussein, 42, was arrested after he held employees hostage for seven hours at the Federal Bank in Hamra, Beirut. He was released on Tuesday without any charges as the bank dropped its complaint.

When the judge was deciding the ruling on Tuesday, the road outside the court was blocked off as supporters of Mr Hussein gathered to show their solidarity, local media reported.