Lebanese prosecutor to make decision by week’s end
Friday marks New Brunswick farmer Henk Tepper’s 149th day in the Beirut Palace of Justice Prison, where he has been detained since March 23 after Algeria called in Interpol over an allegedly infected shipment of potatoes. The farmer claims his potatoes were bacteria-free, but the Algerian family with whom he was doing business refused to believe him, leading to his subsequent arrest and imprisonment. Friday may also be his last day in prison, however, as the Lebanese prosecutor handling the case announced that he would decide at the end of the week whether or not to release Tepper on house arrest. Meanwhile, Tepper’s family and lawyers continue to put pressure on the Canadian government to negotiate with the Lebanese authorities for the farmer’s freedom.