Family of man who held up Beirut bank stages protest

Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein took hostages at gunpoint to get his own money out of the bank. Many Lebanese, who are unable to access their savings amid the economic crisis, called him a hero.
A bank employee leaves the Federal Bank of Lebanon after being held hostage.
A bank employee leaves the Federal Bank of Lebanon after being held hostage by an armed customer demanding the return of his bank deposits, on Beirut's Hamra Street, Aug. 11, 2022. - ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
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Adam Lucente
@Adam_Lucente

The family of the man who held up a Beirut bank is protesting his detention. The issue is representative of the financial toll Lebanon’s economic crisis is taking on the people. 

Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered Federal Bank in downtown Beirut yesterday armed with a gun. He held people hostage and claimed he had $210,000 in the bank and needed to pay for his father’s medical bills. After several hours, he left with $35,000 and was arrested. 

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