Militant Group’s Leader Sentenced in Absentia

The leader of a Palestinian militant group on the White House list of terrorist organizations was sentenced in absentia to 20 years of hard labor for attempted murder of a political rival, judicial officials in Lebanon said.

Ahmed Abdel-Karim Saadi, the head of Asbat al-Ansar, was also sentenced in Beirut to an additional 10 years of hard labor for kidnapping a suspected prostitute, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Saadi is believed to be hiding in Ein el Hilwa, a Palestinian refugee camp outside the southern port of Sidon, where Lebanese authorities have no jurisdiction.