A statement was issued by the representatives of the Bsharri district, Strida Touk Jaja and Melhem Touk, expressing their strong condemnation of recent developments. They stated: "Since the heinous crime occurred on our land at the Martyrs' Summit and the fall of martyrs Haitham and Malek Touk, we have exerted maximum efforts to calm our people's anger and prevent any retaliation to allow security and judicial institutions to carry out their duties. We have been surprised by the municipality of Baqaiasferin, through its legal agent, requesting to transfer the file on border demarcation from the real estate judge overseeing it for three years under the pretext of 'legitimate suspicion!!!' This resembles perfectly the methods of undermining investigations and obscuring the identities of victims in several crimes that have shaken Lebanon."
The statement continued: "The claim of suspicion, which is unfounded and entirely illegitimate, after more than three years of the judge's work and her technical team of four experts, and years spent studying maps and documents, is in truth a clear example of the suspicion in the behavior of those who not only instigated the heinous crime but are also actively attempting to interfere in the investigation process to mislead it. In light of the above, it is essential for the representatives of the Bsharri district, Strida Touk Jaja and Melhem Touk, to emphasize that the interventions and pressures faced by certain judges, as well as the request to transfer the case and remove the real estate judge from ruling on the file just as she was nearing completing her study are both described as crimes aimed at trying to impose a language of sedition and enmity between Bsharri and Baqaiasferin, in addition to the serious implications of this suspicious behavior which reflects the bankruptcy of its perpetrators and their lack of any claimed rights to our land."
The representatives of the Bsharri district held accountable those who are exerting pressure on the judiciary, directly or indirectly, as well as anyone who incited a language of fighting and killing, stating, "They bear full responsibility for every drop of blood that may be shed." They asserted that "the only just and rightful solution to stop the repeated assaults on our land lies solely in ending any form of pressure on the progress of investigations into the crime and stopping intimidation tactics against the judge to enable her to issue her ruling as soon as possible."
In a response, Deputy Abdul Aziz As-Samad commented on the statement made by Representative Strida Jaja regarding the Black Mountain and the claim of suspicion, stating in his statement: "We have adhered, as it is our duty, to a discourse of calm to preserve the blood of the people of both regions. We also confirmed during a call with Dr. Samir Jaja after the tragic incident at the Black Mountain that we operate under the rule of law and do not shield any offender if proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and this is what happened. We urged Dr. Jaja to ensure that the discourse is rational from both sides, employing the language of reason, logic, and conscience, for any drop of blood will be precious to us in both regions, as we are all citizens of the same homeland."
He added: "As for Deputy Strida Jaja's statement regarding the call for suspicion, which is legal and justified, it does not help either side but rather adds fuel to the fire. We were surprised by this irresponsible and unwise discourse from Deputy Strida Jaja." He concluded: "We stress that according to recognized maps, the Black Mountain falls within the boundaries of the Deniya district, but the claims made by the people of Bsharri should follow a neutral legal path in the competent judiciary rather than depend on Bsharri deputies exploiting blood to distort the facts and pressure the judiciary."
