Foreign Ministry to send representative to attend Claudia's case

The Foreign Ministry will send a representative to attend hearing into the death of Al-Jazeera editor Claudia Theophilus should the case get to court.

Deputy Foreign Minister Senator A. Kohilan Pillay said the Malaysian Embassy in Lebanon is still monitoring progress of investigation into the shooting case.

"The investigation by Lebanese authorities is still ongoing," he said after launching Apollo Hospitals Group Information Centre, here Monday.

Claudia, 42, was killed on February 2 in what was believed to be a freak accident while on vacation in the mountains of Baakleen, Lebanon.

Her body arrived from Lebanon on February 9 before cremated in Seremban on February 11.

As for the two Malaysians detained in Lebanon for suspected ties with Al Qaeda, Kohilan said that the investigation is still ongoing.

He said the military tribunal in Lebanon which heard the case last month did not decide whether the charges against them should be dropped or not.

On October 18 last year, Mohd Razif Mohd Ariff, 30, and Mohammad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal, 21, were detained by Lebanese authorities in Beirut before brought before the military tribunal.

They pleaded not guilty and have been under detention by Lebanese security authorities until today.