International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, September 2, 2003

Canadian Christian worker Bruce Balfour could be released from a Beirut prison as early as Tuesday after a Lebanese military court ruled Monday that he was not guilty of spying for Israel.

Fifty-two year old Balfour, a veteran aid worker in southern Lebanon in the 1980s, pleaded innocent after being arrested in early July at Beirut airport, ostensibly for having an Israeli stamp in his passport. The charges against him were punishable, according to some reports, by as many as 15 years hard labor, or even death.

At a court appearance last week, Balfour who was in Lebanon to spearhead an evangelical reforestation effort to replant the nation’s devastated ancient cedar forests said he was not a spy and that he served Jesus.

The five-man state tribunal did uphold charges against Balfour of inciting sectarian sentiments, but said that after almost two months imprisonment, his time was served. Balfour is expected to be deported back to Canada within days.

In Toronto, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham expressed relief at Balfour’s return. "I am satisfied that due process has acquitted Mr. Balfour of these most serious charges and am pleased that he will be returning home to Canada," Graham told the Associated Press.

After condemnation from opposition politicians, Lebanese dissidents and national newspapers for doing little to help Balfour, a senior Canadian government minister traveled to Beirut on Monday, to meet Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and convey his "confidence" in the Lebanese judicial system. Immigration Minister Denis Coderre also met with Balfour in the east Beirut Roumieh jail.

Fellow Canadian Grant Livingstone, an Israeli-based representative of the Marathana Evangelistic Association with whom Balfour is linked was also being tried in absentia by Lebanon on similar charges. He has worked extensively promoting Christian and humanitarian relief projects in southern Lebanon for over 25 years.

Livingstone could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but shortly after Balfour’s arrest he told ICEJ News that the "ridiculous charges" were being pushed by the Iranian-backed Hizb’Allah terror militia that took control of southern Lebanon after the Israeli withdrawal in spring 2000.

"I believe the Canadian government needs to crawl out of comfortable neutralism to stand forthrightly for Canadians trying to help the real Lebanese to resist Syrian occupiers and the Iranian mercenary Hizb’Allah terrorists oppressing them," Livingstone said on a visit to the Christian Embassy last month.

Balfour’s arrest followed the murder of a Canadian journalist in Iranian custody, and was, according to one opposition legislator, the consequence of the Ottawa’s "flawed and failed" foreign affairs policy.

"It is clear that tyrannical, undemocratic government have no fear about mistreating Canadian citizens because there are no consequences to their actions," Alliance MP, Stockwell Day told the CanWest news service in July, accusing Lebanese authorities of completely disregarding Balfour’s human rights.