The sit-in will continue and intensify more until the release of our families would be secured

Families of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria’s Azaz pressed on Tuesday their demands in front of the Turkish Cultural Center and the Turkish Airlines office in downtown Beirut.

Adham Zogheib, the son of one of the kidnapped pilgrims, said the “sit-in will continue and intensify more until the release of our families would be secured.”

Responding to a question about the conditions of swapping the kidnapped pilgrims with Syrian female detainees, Zogheib said: “our kin are visitors and civilians. If the kidnappers demanded to swap them with civilians it’s ok and we can negotiate this matter. What concerns us is that there should be sincerity and seriousness on this issue because previous experience with these made us lose confidence. “

“We fully trust the work done by Major General Abbas Ibrahim and hope that we reach a result in the nearest time,” Zogheib added.

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Monday he has received the names of 371 Syrian women detainees to be exchanged with the Lebanese pilgrims who had been kidnapped since May last year.

He said General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim will start his contacts with the Syrian side over the swap.

LBCI TV broadcast on Sunday a video showing the nine hostages.