Lebanese Father Won’t Drop Charges Against Ex-Wife in 60 Minutes Kidnapping Case

A Lebanese man says he has no plans to drop the kidnapping charges he pressed against his estranged Australian wife and the television crew she brought along in a failed attempt to retrieve her children from his custody, the Guardian reports.

Earlier this month, Sally Faulkner arrived in Beirut to locate and regain custody of her two children, who were living there with their father Ali al-Amin. She was accompanied by a production team from Australia’s 60 Minutes, which planned to document the events.

Things did not go as planned. Lebanese prosecutors accused Faulkner and four members of the television crew — including reporter Tara Brown — of attempting to kidnap the children. Two employees of Child Abduction Recovery International also face charges over the operation.

Al-Amin said on Monday that he would not drop the charges against his ex-wife because doing so might mean that the detained crew would also be freed, said the Guardian.

“They are trying to push for that if Sally gets bail, they all get bail,” he said. “I said then I will charge everyone involved and I say it today. It will take some time. I am in no hurry.”

[Guardian]