Lebanon Ready for Syria Pact to Repatriate Non-Terror Convicts

Asharq Al-Awsat

2 days ago

Lebanon's Justice Minister Adel Nassar said Beirut had received no warnings from Damascus about potential retaliatory measures to push for the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons, dismissing any talk of escalation as unnecessary.
'There's no need for escalation. We're fully open to resolving this issue through direct dialogue and a formal treaty with the Syrian authorities, one that allows the transfer of Syrian convicts, except those sentenced for killing Lebanese soldiers or for terrorism charges,' Nassar told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Nassar revealed that his ministry had already prepared a draft agreement aimed at moving the stalled file forward, stressing that resolving the issue is in Lebanon's interest as much as Syria's.
'This would ease the severe overcrowding in our prisons,' he said. 'We're determined to take every step in full compliance with Lebanese law and judicial procedures.'
According to Nassar, some 1,700 Syrians are currently detained in Lebanon, including 389 with final verdicts. The rest are still on trial.
'Their treatment is identical to that of Lebanese inmates,' he added. 'We're holding court sessions directly at Roumieh prison to address logistical constraints, and there's also an intention to do the same for the military court.'
Addressing the recent Cabinet appointment of Maher Shaito as financial public prosecutor, a move widely seen as a win for the minister after rejecting a nominee backed by the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, Nassar insisted the process was purely institutional.
'This was a victory for state institutions. I can't nominate someone I don't believe is qualified,' he said. 'After consulting senior judges and the head of the Higher Judicial Council, it was clear there was consensus around Shaito due to his credentials and track record.'
He stressed that the appointment involved 'no deals or political bartering,' adding that while he found Judge Ziad Hamadeh unsuitable for that specific post, 'I never said he was unfit for another position.'
Nassar described his meeting Saturday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as 'positive,' saying Berri expressed support for the minister's efforts under the principle of judicial independence.
On long-awaited judicial appointments, Nassar said the Judicial Council was working 'around the clock' and had promised to complete the file by the end of the month. 'Some 600 names are currently under consideration,' he noted.
As Lebanon approaches the fifth anniversary of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, Nassar said he would not interfere with the timeline of investigative judge Tarek Bitar, who is handling the politically sensitive case.
'Judge Bitar is continuing his probe, and I'm offering full cooperation within the limits of my authority, especially when it comes to securing information from abroad,' he said. 'We won't allow any obstruction of his work.'
Nassar said the timing of the indictment 'depends on whether he receives the answers to all his questions,' adding: 'There's no legal deadline obliging him to issue a ruling by a specific date.'
Responding to reports that he and other ministers had objected to certain appointments during the last Cabinet session, Nassar confirmed his opposition to the newly named Banking Control Commission, saying ministers had not been briefed beforehand.
He also voiced strong objection to linking the disarmament of Hezbollah to any other file.
'I told Cabinet and President Joseph Aoun that the issue of arms must not be conditional. I believe in the exclusive right of the state to bear arms - there can be no functioning state otherwise,' he said.
Nassar added that Aoun had promised to refer any final document related to the ongoing US-mediated talks on the weapons issue back to the Cabinet for discussion.