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Aussie woman set to face kidnapping charges in Lebanon

Xinhua, July 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

An Australian woman is set to face kidnapping charges in Lebanon following a botched child recovery operation with an Australian television network, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Friday.

Mother Sally Faulkner and those hired to carry out the child recovery mission face kidnapping charges and up to seven years in jail.

The crew of 60 Minutes, a flagship news program for Australia's Nine Network who were filming the story in Lebanon will escape the saga with only a fine.

Faulkner and the 60 Minutes crew returned to Australia in April after the Nine Network secured their release.

The operatives hired to carry out the child recovery effort however were not included in the deal.

Faulkner's lawyer is hopeful the charge will be dismissed on appeal.

The lawyer representing Adam Whittington, the man from a British-based international "child recovery" agency who attempted to bring Faulkner's children back to Australia said an appeals court had to approve or overturn the decision.

"We are fully confident with the Lebanese criminal justice system that whenever it goes to a trial we will reach to the right appropriate decision, where they consider a kidnapping of a child by his mother is not a kidnapping," lawyer Joe Karam said.

Channel Nine confirmed the charges against its staff had been downgraded in a statement.

"There will still be a trial on a date to be determined and out of respect for the Lebanese legal process we will not be making any further comment while the matter is still before the court," they said.

Lebanese authorities alleged in April that the Australian TV crew, who were filming the recovery operation as part of a story, paid the British-based recovery agents 115,000 Australian dollars (85,686 U.S. dollars).

Faulkner's two children currently reside in Lebanon with their father. Endit