Independence Movement officials and family members bid a final goodbye Thursday to lawyer Tony Talal Younes at a funeral held in Toula town and presided over by Bishop George Abou Jaoude.

Younes, who held the post of Independence Movement coordinator in Zgharta’s mountainous district, was praised as a patriotic man who defended his country’s sovereignty and independence.

Head of the Independence Movement Michel Moawad and his wife Mariella attended the funeral along with former MP Jawad Boulos, head of the Bar Association in north Lebanon Michel Khoury and Order of Engineers President Marios Baini.

Younes’ family, Moawad and Boulos received condolences at the church’s hall following the funeral.

A large crowd took part in funeral processions earlier in the day, tossing flowers and rice on the coffin of Younes.