A Sydney woman arrested for adultery in Lebanon deserves to be jailed, her brother says.



The mother of two, Mahassen Issa, who had recently separated from her husband, was arrested after travelling to Tripoli in Lebanon's north in June to visit her new boyfriend.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed it is providing assistance to an Australian woman in Beirut.

Her brother Ahmed, speaking from Sydney, said Issa “deserves what she gets”.

“She has wronged the system,” he told Macquarie Radio.

Issa, whose children are six and nine, said she was about to return to Sydney when she was contacted by Lebanese police informing her she had been charged with adultery.

If convicted, Issa, 29, could face six months in jail.

Ahmed said Issa's family had told her not to go to Lebanon and pursue a relationship.

“We tried our very best to control the situation as much as we can,” the 33-year-old said. “She did not follow the instruction; she did not follow the family advice.”

He said his sister had married her boyfriend since arriving in Lebanon.

Issa told News Corp Australia she and her new partner had both been charged.

“My passport has been alerted to all the authorities and I'm not allowed to exit the country. I will be facing the charges tomorrow at court,” she said.

Under Islamic law, a woman must be separated or divorced for at least 12 months before marrying again, Ahmed said.

“A six-month punishment. She's broken the law. She deserves what she gets from Lebanon,” he said.

To be granted a divorce in Australia, spouses must prove they have lived separately and apart for at least 12 months.

The family of Issa's husband reportedly alerted authorities in Lebanon.