BEIRUT (AFP) – A Lebanese judge turned down a request to release two of four high-ranking security officials detained for their alleged role in the murder of former premier Rafiq Hariri, a judicial source told AFP. Investigating magistrate Elias Eid turned down the request by lawyers representing former head of Lebanese military intelligence Raymond Azar and the head of President Emile Lahoud’s presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan.They were arrested in August along with former general security chief Jamil al-Sayed and ex-internal security head Ali al-Hage following recommendations made by an initial UN probe into Hariri’s February killing.

 The four men formed the backbone of Syria‘s security apparatus in its smaller neighbour until Syrian troops and intelligence officers were forced to leave under international pressure in April.