The four remaining prisoners jailed in Beirut over the botched 60 Minutes child abduction case have been refused bail.
Former solider Adam Whittington, who is accused of orchestrating the kidnapping on behalf of Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner, has spent more than five weeks behind bars with associate Craig Michael and two Lebanese men hired to help, Mohammed Hamza and Khaled Barbour.
Judge Rami Abdullah rejected the bail application after the father of the snatched children, Ali Elamine, refused to drop charges against the men, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Former Australian soldier Adam Whittington was jailed for his involvement in the botched 60 Minutes child abduction attempt
Mr Whittington, an Australian soldier from 1994 to 1998, was jailed for his role in the Sally Faulkner kidnapping case. Mr Whittington’s father is pictured
‘The judge’s decision isn’t fair at all, I’m very upset. The ones who ordered, prepared, and conducted (the kidnapping) are out and the poor are still inside, I call this injustice,’ Mr Hamza’s lawyer Sahar Mohsen said.
All four men were recently moved from Baabda to Ebbe prison in Lebanon’s north, a move that was considered a bad sign for their bail prospects.
They have spent more than five weeks behind bars.
‘My clients didn’t want to be moved — (they wanted) to stay closer to us. But in the end the government can’t keep them in such awful conditions,’ Mr Whittington’s lawyer Joe Karam told News Corp.
‘We are going to appeal. The appeal court will make the right decision.’
Mr Whittingon, an Australian soldier from 1994 to 1998, was jailed for his role in the Sally Faulkner kidnapping case.
Working for Child Abduction Recovery International, he travelled to Lebanon alongside a team from Channel 9 in an attempt to recover Ms Faulkner’s two children from her partner, Ali Elamine.
The crew were arrested soon after snatching Ms Faulkner’s children, although Mr Elamine dropped kidnapping charges against the Channel 9 team after reportedly receiving a significant payout.
A letter from Mr Whittington posted to Facebook said: ‘I honestly don’t know what is more disgusting, the inhumane conditions in the dungeon I have been in for 40 days, with no sunlight and rats running around me at night, or hearing all the statements Channel 9 have made to the media.
Mr Whittington was left out of a Nine deal to release the program’s crew last month
Former solider Adam Whittington, who is accused of orchestrating the kidnapping on behalf of Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner, has spent more than 40 days behind bars with associate Craig Michael (pictured) and two Lebanese men hired to help, Mohammed Hamza and Khaled Barbour
Former solider Adam Whittington, who is accused of orchestrating the kidnapping on behalf of Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner, has spent more than five weeks behind bars
Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner (pictured) and her estranged husband Ali Elamine reached an agreement which gave him full custody in return for her release
A Facebook page in support of Mr Whittington currently has over 3,500 followers.
A post on the page organising the rally said: ‘So it seems Darren Wick [Nine’s director of news] and Ch9 are not taking us seriously at all so it’s time to ramp it up.
‘We have over 3000 people in this group and although some are not in Sydney most are and now I NEED YOUR HELP.
It continued: ‘Tuesday Morning I want to converge on Channel 9 studios at Willoughby in Sydney. I need as many people as I can get so Mr Wick knows we are not mucking around.
‘Signs need to be made, chants need to be created and everyone needs to get on board with this.’
Mr Whittington’s next bail hearing is on Wednesday 18 May at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, Lebanon.
Mr Whittington’s mother Georgina has previously said that Channel 9 betrayed her son, reported The Daily Telegraph.
She said: ‘How could you just leave someone behind?’
‘If this had have gone the way 60 Minutes wanted it to go my son would be labelled a hero, but because it didn’t they can all go back home to their families and Adam is the one who cops the penalty.’
A Facebook page in support of Mr Whittington currently has over 3,500 followers
Judge Rami Abdullah rejected the bail application after the father of the snatched children, Ali Elamine (pictured with his children), refused to drop charges against the men
This post on the Support Adam Whittington Facebook page called for supports to rally outside Channel 9’s in protest
Mr Whittington’s mother Georgina said her son would have been a hero if the child recovery came off, but he has instead been left to languish in prison
Media wait for the release of Adam Whittington at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, Lebanon