Al-Zou’bi Says Ma’loula Nuns Released Without Any Syrian-Qatari Contacts
DAMASCUS, (ST)-The releasing of Maloula nuns, abducted before by the armed terrorist groups, was carried out without any direct or indirect Syrian-Qatari contacts, stressed Information Minister Omran al-Zou’bi, pointing out that the process was the result of coordinated efforts between Lebanese security bodies and Syrian concerned parties.
“Any talk about Syrian-Qatari contacts is absolutely untrue, rather it is an attempt to promote certain ideas and poison the whole atmosphere and incite the public opinion,” the minister said in a phone call with the Syrian TV last night.
He added that the process of releasing the nuns couldn’t be achieved without the great efforts exerted by concerned parties in Syria under the directives of President Bashar Al-Assad.
Al-Zou’bi also said that the accurate number of persons released by the Syrian authorities in order to free the nuns was 25. All are among those who haven’t stained their hands with the Syrians’ blood.
“Anything said other than this is incorrect and a kind of exaggeration,” the minister added.
“None of the persons who were released has left Syria. It was up to them to choose where to go and they asked to return to their families, because they are convinced that the Syrian leadership’s response in this respect is by itself a guarantee for them to stay in their homeland, Syria,” he clarified.
The minister congratulated the Syrian people on releasing the abducted nuns, noting that this process will hopefully be followed by further steps leading to releasing other abducted people.
He stressed that President Al-Assad is personally interested in the issue of releasing all the abducted citizens in all Syrian provinces and he follows up every detail in this issue.
Al-Zou’bi affirmed President Al-Assad’s directives to all competent authorities and bodies as to spare no effort, along with popular national persons, to settle the issue of the Syrian abductees wherever they are on the Syrian land.
H. Mustafa