BEIRUT: Lebanese officials added their voices to those calling for uncovering the fate of Imam Musa Sadr Tuesday, particularly given the dramatic events in Libya, where the preacher was last seen more than 30 years ago.

Former Minister MP Marwan Hamade said events in Libyan made the search for the missing imam even more pertinent.

“As a member of the national committee following up on the case of Imam Musa Sadr, I add my voice to those who are calling and insist that the truth be revealed in the case of Imam Sadr and what was his fate, especially after Libyan rebels toppled the regime of Col. Moammar Gadhafi,” Hamade said in a statement.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called on the Libyan National Transitional Council Monday to work toward uncovering the fate of Sadr and his two companions who went missing in Libya more than three decades ago, as the Amal Movement urged the government to send a high-ranking fact-finding delegation to Libya for the same purpose.

Allamah Sheikh Afif al-Nabulsi, also called on the Libyan people to “look into the fate of Imam Musa Sadr and reveal the circumstances of the case that Gadhafi tried to hide,” the National News Agency said.

In a statement, the head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, also called on the Libyan people and NTC to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the events that led to the disappearance of Sadr in 1978 “given the place that the imam has in the hearts of all Lebanese.”

Sadr, the founder of Amal Movement and the Higher Shiite Council, Badreddine and Yaacoub were on an official visit to Libya at the invitation of Gadhafi when they went missing on Aug. 31, 1978. Ties between the two countries have been strained in the three decades since they disappeared.

His family said Monday that Sadr is still alive and remains a prisoner in Libya. “We appeal to those who will take over in Libya after the collapse of the tyrant [Gadhafi] to give special attention to this case and take the necessary measures to safeguard the imam’s life before his safe return,” Sadr’s family said in a statement addressed to the Libyan National Transition Council.

“We are confident that the Libyan National Transition Council will show leniency with regard to the liberation of the imam and his companions, presenting to the world another achievement by rebels,” the statement released by the family added.