Abduction charges not up to me, says dad

The father of the two children involved in a botched snatch attempt in Lebanon says it's up to prosecutors, not him, to decide if any charges should be dropped.

Ali Elamine says the nine people arrested in connection with the attempt, including his estranged wife Sally Faulkner and a 60 Minutes TV crew, had "done something illegal".

"It's all in the prosecutors' hands," he told 3AW in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.

Mr Elamine was speaking after his estranged wife and 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown appeared again before a judge in Beirut on Monday night, Australian time.

Ms Faulkner's lawyer had said before the hearing that she had offered to drop her claim for sole custody of Lahela, 5, and Noah, 3, if Mr Elamine dropped the abduction charges.

But Mr Elamine has indicated this is unlikely.

"They came into our country. They have done something illegal," he told 3AW.

"If the tables were turned, if I were to show up in Australia trying to kidnap someone ... I would have probably been shot on the spot, called a terrorist."

Closed-door negotiations over the fate of Ms Faulkner and the 60 Minutes crew were held in Beirut before judge Rami Abdullah, who adjourned the talks until Wednesday.

"This is the demand of the lawyers ... to allow for negotiations," the judge said in his office at the end of Monday's proceedings, at which Ms Brown and Ms Faulkner briefly appeared.

Again, he stressed the seriousness of the charges the defendants were facing.

"This is not a custody case," Judge Abdullah said.

"They are charged with kidnapping two kids."

It was the third time the women had appeared in court following their arrest earlier this month after a "child recovery" team snatched Ms Faulkner's two young children from a Beirut street as they were walking with their Lebanese grandmother.

The children were returned to their father soon after and the 60 Minutes team in Lebanon to film the operation - Ms Brown, Benjamin Williamson, David Ballment and Stephen Rice - were arrested.

Along with Ms Faulkner, they have been in jail in Beirut ever since.

Mr Elamine, was on the defensive when he arrived at the Baabda Palace of Justice on Monday, indicating he was not prepared to drop charges against his wife.

To do so, he said, would lead to the release of the Nine Network news team who filmed the "child recovery" operation and those who carried it out.

"The way they are trying to push for this is that if Sally (Faulkner) goes out on bail, they all get out," the 32-year-old said as he prepared to meet Judge Abdullah.

"That is how I am seeing it as an outsider ... They are pushing for Sal's release and everyone else gets a green card."

Nine had "dropped the ball by getting involved in family matters" and now "everyone is blaming the other for what happened", he added.

Negotiations had been progressing between lawyers for Ms Faulkner and Mr Elamine when "suddenly Mr Elamine's lawyer said 'we are not in a hurry'".

The two others facing charges are believed to be members of the child-recovery agency hired for the operation - Britons Craig Michael and Adam Whittington.

All involved are facing charges of kidnapping and being members of a criminal gang, which can attract maximum sentences of up to three years and 10 years respectively.