Tyre mufti condemns businessman's kidnap

The Mufti of Tyre has called for tougher penalties for people found guilty of kidnap for ransom. The news comes after 65-year-old expat businessman, Najib Youssef, was kidnapped earlier this week from a public road in Tyre. His kidnappers are demanding $3m in ransom. Referring to the case, Judge Sheikh Hassan Abdallah said: "The kidnapping of businessman Najib Youssef is a crime against humanity and Lebanese expatriates. It is an inhuman and immortal act." He also urged security authorities to find the kidnappers and try them before a court of law. He called on the Lebanese judiciary to implement "the toughest penalties" against those responsible in order to eradicate "this disgraceful, perverse and dangerous phenomenon." He added: "Tyre in all its stripes, shades and families strongly condemns this criminal kidnapping and will not rest until the kidnapped man is returned to his family, healthy and sound."