Charity founded to honor ex-member of Israel-backed militia jailed by Lebanon

Foundation to honor Amer Fakhoury, who allegedly tortured prisoners while serving in SLA and died last month, seeks to provide financial and advocacy support for US hostages

By Agencies 13 September 2020, 11:18 am

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In this June 2016 photo provided by Guila Fakhoury, her father Amer Fakhoury holds his granddaughter, Kira, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. (Guila Fakhoury via AP)

The family of an American man who was jailed for months in Lebanon over decades-old murder and torture charges while he was part of an Israel-backed militia, has started a foundation in his name to help families of Americans held hostage overseas.

Amer Fakhoury, a Dover, New Hampshire, restaurant owner, died of cancer last month at age 57, following his March release.

His children told Seacoastonline.com that the goal of the Amer Fakhoury Foundation was to honor their father and help fill financial and advocacy gaps for people who have been kidnapped and for their families.

“There are so many other people that are in my dad’s shoes right now we don’t know about,” said Macy Fakhoury, one of Amer Fakhoury’s daughters.

“So many of them can be hidden or brushed under the table. … We want to help these people and we want to bring light to this injustice.”

In this August 16, 2006 photo, a Lebanese flag flies over Khiam prison, in the southern town of Khiam, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, File)

Fakhoury was jailed in September of last year after returning to Lebanon on vacation to visit family.

Lebanese officials alleged that Fakhoury was responsible for the killings and abuse of prisoners at Khiam Prison, run by an Israel-backed Lebanese militia during Israel’s 18-year occupation of a narrow “security zone” along Lebanon’s southern border.

Human rights groups have described the prison as a center for torture.

However, Fakhoury’s family and lawyer say that while he did work at the prison, he did not have any contact with inmates.

Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since Israel’s creation in 1948. Lebanon bans its citizens from traveling to Israel or having contact with Israelis. During the three-decade Lebanese civil war, the country’s main Christian militias allied with Israel.

In this May 2019 photo provided by Guila Fakhoury, her father Amer Fakhoury, second from right, gathers with family members at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire. (Guila Fakhoury via AP)

Fakhoury’s lawyer and family say he fled Lebanon in 2001 through Israel and eventually to the United States because of death threats he and many other former Christian militia members received after Israel’s withdrawal from the country in 2000.

Upon his release and amid calls for a retrial, Fakhoury left Lebanon in mysterious circumstances aboard a US aircraft seen taking off from the US Embassy compound northeast of Beirut.

While US President Donald Trump thanked the Lebanese government for working with his administration to release Fakhoury, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, called Fakhoury’s evacuation to the United States “ a blatant violation of the Lebanese sovereignty.”

The family is seeking donations through the amerfakhouryfoundation.org website, and is applying for grants.