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Australian "60 Minutes" presenter Tara Brown is among those charged with "armed abduction, purveying threats and physical harm". Photograph: Paul Miller/AAP Image via AP
Members of an Australian investigative news team arrested in Beirut, Lebanon, earlier this week, have formally been charged on grounds of kidnapping on Wednesday (Australian time).
Reporter Tara Brown and three other members of the 60 Minutes news crew were in Lebanon, reportedly assisting an Australian mother on a "rescue mission" to take back her children from their father.
The father, Ali Elamine, reportedly took the children on a holiday to his native Lebanon, but failed to bring the children home. He has since been living with his mother and children in Beirut.
On Wednesday, Brown, as well as producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment appeared before a judge in Beirut to face the charges, which include causing injury as well as kidnapping.
Lebanese Police have previously claimed the Nine Network paid a professional outfit up to 90,000 U.S dollars for the failed abduction, and say they possess footage of the alleged kidnapping which shows the face of the Nine Network cameraman. The allegations are so far unproven.
A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said Australia was providing consular assistance to the crew as well as the mother, while a statement from the Nine Network said it would be some days before the crew are allowed to defend their charges in front of a judge.
"We do not have any further details at this time and we are not able to comment on any other aspects of the matter at this time," the statement, released overnight, read.
The charges carry significant penalties if the accused are found to be guilty, with a minimum jail term of three years attached to one charge.
Former Australian diplomat to the nations in the Middle East, and expert on foreign affairs, Bruce Haigh said it was likely the crew would be jailed unless they come clean and apologize profusely for their actions.
"You need to grovel," Haigh told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday, "You need to go and make an abject apology to the Lebanese government and say, 'Look, we made a huge error, a bad error of judgment and we really apologize for what's occurred.'
"Nothing short of that will get these people out."
The news crew are currently being held in a Lebanese prison, but are reportedly being treated well.
