Russian national arrested in Lebanon on suspicion of spying for Israel

Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security has arrested a Russian national and his wife, reports Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar. The names of the two detained people have not been released.

The publication writes that local security services were tracking the couple’s movements and contacts before detaining them when they tried to leave Lebanon via the airport in Beirut. 

An al-Akhbar source says that the Russian national admitted to having been recruited by Israeli intelligence. He was reportedly ordered to spend several months in Lebanon inspecting and and, if possible, photographing several Hezbollah sites. His wife reportedly admitted that she knew about her husband’s worked and helped him.

Lebanese special services exchanged information about the Russian national’s arrest with the Russian Embassy in Beirut before sending his case to court, adds al-Akhbar.

The Russian Embassy told state news agency TASS that diplomats are in contact with the authorities in Lebanon and are waiting to be permitted to meet with the two Russian nationals.

Neither the Israeli nor the Lebanese authorities has made any official comment.