Lebanon court hands alleged 'drug kingpin' Nouh Zaiter just four months in prison

Lebanon's military court has been condemned for giving a shockingly lenient sentence to a man accused of being one of the country's most notorious drug traffickers.

US-sanctioned Nouh Zaiter has for decades faced accusations of drug trafficking, weapons offences, and deadly confrontations with the army, charges that potentially carry the death penalty.

Passing judgment on Tuesday on four cases, the permanent military court found Zaiter guilty of possession of weapons and military ammunition, possession of military equipment and wireless communication devices, opening fire in residential areas, and confronting or obstructing Lebanese army patrols during operational duties.

He was sentenced to just one month in prison for each conviction, instead of the combined sentence of 12 years, had judges decided to pursue the maximum sentence for the cases.

Zaiter is described by Lebanese authorities as one of the country's most dangerous fugitives and has also been sanctioned by the US and UK over his alleged role in the production and smuggling of captagon.

He is implicated in nearly 1,000 judicial files that include cases of drug manufacturing and trafficking, weapons smuggling and attacks on Lebanese security forces, although Zaiter has not been found guilty of these charges.

The court also ordered the confiscation of weapons, military ammunition and communications equipment seized from Zaiter, but was cleared in several cases due to "insufficient evidence", Lebanon's official National News Agency reported.

The trial itself lasted around an hour and covered 40 misdemeanour-level cases, many of them linked to armed confrontations with Lebanese army patrols in the Bekaa Valley, gunfire in residential areas and possession of military-grade weapons.

Judicial sources told the pan-Arab Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the rulings do not close Zaiter's legal file, and he still faces major felony charges, including opening fire on army patrols, killing soldiers and large-scale drug trafficking. Hearings in those cases are scheduled for 5 May.

During the session, the presiding judge allowed Zaiter, who had been on a hunger strike and appeared weak, to remain seated throughout the hearing.

He denied all charges as they were read out, insisting he had voluntarily surrendered to army intelligence and rejecting claims that he was arrested in a security ambush.

Zaiter was arrested in November after more than three decades on the run, in what the Lebanese army described as the capture of "one of the most dangerous wanted men" in the country, with allegations of drug and weapons smuggling, and armed robbery.

He has previously been linked to cross-border drug networks operating between Lebanon and Syria, although The New Arab could not confirm these allegations.