--- description: Four members of an Australian TV news crew could face prison if found guilty of taking part in an alleged kidnapping in Lebanon title: Australian 60 Minutes Crew Charged Over Lebanon 'Kidnapping' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cea14afabe9a4ea/69888e3f8e06014aa1465591/mideast-lebanon-austr_fitz.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # An Australian _60 Minutes_ TV Crew Has Been Charged With 'Kidnapping' in Lebanon by [Simon Lewis](/author/simon-lewis/) ## Simon Lewis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 13, 2016 9:44 AM CUT  Ibtissam Berri holds a picture of her granddaughter Lahela al-Amin as she speaks with The Associated Press, at her home in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, April 7, 2016. Ibtissam Berri holds a picture of her granddaughter Lahela al-Amin as she speaks with The Associated Press, at her home in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, April 7, 2016.Bilal Hussein—AP by [Simon Lewis](/author/simon-lewis/) ## Simon Lewis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 13, 2016 9:44 AM CUT Four Australians working for the country’s version of the’ _60 Minutes_ news program could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of taking part in an alleged kidnapping. The charges have arisen in connection with an Australian mother’s botched attempt to take back her children from her Lebanese ex-husband. Lebanon’s National News Agency [said](http://nna-leb.gov.lb/en/show-news/59847/Judge-Karam-charges-Australians-Lebanese-over-child-abduction-case "undefined") Tuesday a judge had charged both Australians and Lebanese after the two children were [snatched](http://time.com/4286292/children-freed-beirut-abduction-australian-60-minutes-lebanon-tara-brown/ "undefined") from their paternal grandmother last week. “Suspects were also charged over interfering and participating in the crime, and referred to the Primary Investigating Judge,” the report said. The BBC [said](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36024240 "undefined") reporter Tara Brown, her producer, camera man and sound recordist are among the accused. Also charged are the children’s mother, Sally Faulkner, two Lebanese men and two British employees of a company specializing in the recovery of children in cases of disputed custody. The crew for Channel Nine’s _60 Minutes_ had been following Faulkner’s custody dispute with ex-husband Ali al-Amin, whom she accuses of taking the children to Lebanon without her permission. Lebanese authorities have returned the two children to al-Amin. It has been claimed that grandmother Lahela al-Amin was assaulted during the alleged abduction, which would mean more serious charges. The _Guardian_ [reported](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/12/suspects-in-alleged-beirut-kidnapping-face-jail-and-hard-labour "undefined") that the charges included “armed abduction, purveying threats and physical harm,” which carry sentences of between seven and 20 years. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4291807/60-minutes-tara-brown-beirut-kidnap-australia-lebanon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4291807/60-minutes-tara-brown-beirut-kidnap-australia-lebanon/"},"headline":"An Australian 60 Minutes TV Crew Has Been Charged With 'Kidnapping' in Lebanon","datePublished":"2016-04-13T09:44:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T16:41:31.206Z","description":"TV reporter Tara Brown and her crew were filming an Australian mother's attempt to get her children back from their Lebanese father","url":"https://time.com/4291807/60-minutes-tara-brown-beirut-kidnap-australia-lebanon/","keywords":["Australia","Lebanon"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cea14afabe9a4ea/69888e3f8e06014aa1465591/mideast-lebanon-austr_fitz.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Simon Lewis","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/simon-lewis/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cea14afabe9a4ea/69888e3f8e06014aa1465591/mideast-lebanon-austr_fitz.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mideast Lebanon Australia","caption":"Mideast Lebanon Australia","creditText":"Bilal Hussein—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4291807/60-minutes-tara-brown-beirut-kidnap-australia-lebanon/","name":"An Australian 60 Minutes TV Crew Has Been Charged With 'Kidnapping' in Lebanon"}}]}] ```