Families of the nine kidnapped Lebanese in Azaz have organized a sit-in Monday at the Turkish Cultural Center downtown Beirut to press for the release of their relatives.

Families of the nine kidnapped Lebanese in Azaz have organized a sit-in Monday at the Turkish Cultural Center downtown Beirut to press for the release of their relatives, the National News Agency reported.

According to NNA, “families of the kidnapped Lebanese in Azaz cut off the road in front of the Turkish Cultural Center in downtown Beirut, after staff at the center refused to leave their offices.”

Protesters said they would continue cutting off the road until the staff leave the Center.”

"We dare the director of the Turkish Cultural Center to come here and we won't allow the center to continue its work," Adham Zgheib, son of abducted Ali Zgheib told local media outlets.

"The Turks are kidnappers and we don't want to see them until the return of our relatives," he stressed.

Witnesses said that traffic jam occurred after blocking the road that leads to downtown Beirut from al-Azariyeh building, noting that traffic was diverted to the seaside road.

In the same context, the families asked the Turkish airline staff this morning not to enter their offices. The staff responded positively and left for home.

Eleven religious visitors were kidnapped in May 2012 in northern Syrian province of Aleppo as they returned by land from visiting the holy shrines in Iran. Two of them were released in August and September.

They remaining nine were later taken to the Aleppo town of Aazaz.

The kidnapping was claimed by a man who identified himself as Abu Ibrahim, claiming he is a member of the so-called “Free Syrian Army,” but the militant opposition group denies any involvement in the abductions.