Latest news with #SyrianPrisoners
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Lebanon seeks deal to send overcrowded prison inmates to Syria
Lebanon is seeking a treaty that would see most Syrian prisoners serve the rest of their sentence in their homeland in a bid to ease severe overcrowding in Lebanese jails. At Lebanon's largest jail of Roumieh, authorities have also reopened a court – which had last been active during the Covid-19 pandemic – as they seek to speed up the judicial process for suspects from Lebanon, Syria or elsewhere. The idea of a treaty with Syria was formulated by Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who came into the position earlier this year in a new Lebanese government seeking to bring about reform in a country long plagued by institutional malaise. Mr Nassar has also pushed forward with a draft law for enhanced judicial independence in a country where courts have long suffered from political interference. It is part of a wider push for an overhaul of the judicial system that includes its digitisation. A raft of new judges has also been appointed. 'When the Prime Minister went to Syria I addressed this issue with him,' Mr Nassar said, referring to the April visit to Damascus by Nawaf Salam, himself a former judge who headed the International Court of Justice until the start of the year. 'He addressed this to the Syrian authorities regarding the possibility to enter in to a treaty that would allow Syrian detainees in Lebanon to continue their sentence in Syria,' Mr Nassar told The National from his office at the Justice Ministry in Beirut. 'But this would not apply to people who were condemned for terrorism or for killing Lebanese citizens and soldiers – or [other] major crimes. It would apply for the majority, which are people who are sentences for stealing, for fraud etc. Not for killing Lebanese citizens,' added the minister, a Harvard-educated lawyer. Lebanon's prisons are notorious for their overcrowding and cramped conditions, with a population hovering around 8,500. Last year, about 80 per cent of them were yet to have their case go to trial. About 2,000 Syrian detainees are believed to be housed in Lebanese jails. The Lebanese government estimates about 1.5 million Syrian Some of them, however, are held on terrorism charges for fighting against the Lebanese Army. In one case in 2014 in the border town of Arsal in the north-west reaches of Lebanon, fighters from ISIS and Jabhat Al Nusra – which included Syrian nationals – engaged in deadly clashes with the Lebanese Army for about a week. Mr Nassar has not had direct contact with his Syrian counterpart, but insists the conversations are continuing between authorities in Beirut and Damascus. Pressure on Lebanon Last week SyriaTV reported that authorities were seeking to pressure Lebanon through political and diplomatic measures to address the issue of Syrian detainees – although that report was later denied by the Ministry of Information in Damascus, which said it sought to address the issue through official channels. Nonetheless, a high-level Syrian delegation is expected in Beirut in the near future – with the prison situation expected to be on the agenda, even if the visit has not been officially confirmed. The treaty idea was floated by Mr Nassar, and awaits a response and action from the Syrian side. 'I hope that the Syrian authorities will follow up on that because we opened the door and we are willing co-operate with them,' Mr Nassar said. 'I welcome a visit from the Syrian minister of justice to discuss the possibility to sign a treaty in order to have the issue addressed.' Roumieh, an otherwise picturesque town overlooking Beirut, is home to by far the largest prison in Lebanon with about 3,400 detainees despite the buildings being built for 1,200. Raja Abi Nader, the judge that heads the prisons directorate at the Ministry of Justice, said the Roumieh courts were relaunched on June 3, with 500 detainees having their case heard. By reopening the courts in Roumieh, the logistical time for suspects for be transferred has been dramatically cut, authorities say. 'Syrians, like Lebanese detainees, are suffering from the fact that prisons are overcrowded,' Mr Nassar said.
The National
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Damascus presses Beirut to release Syrian prisoners amid warnings of border escalation
Tensions are rising between Syria and Lebanon after Damascus informally demanded the handover of thousands of Syrian prisoners, some of whom were convicted on terrorism charges. Security sources in Beirut said Lebanese officials had received messages via several diplomatic channels from Syrian authorities that pressed for the imminent release of the detainees. Hundreds of the prisoners are Islamists. According to the sources, Lebanese officials were indirectly warned of possible consequences if the matter is not resolved, including the closure of the border and the suspension of work by their joint security committee. 'Syria is now seeking the return of an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 nationals in Lebanese prisons,' said one of the sources. 'While some of the prisoners have not yet been sentenced, others have been convicted of serious charges, including involvement in terror-related activities. 'Beirut is not opposed to releasing the detainees, including the Islamists, but insists the process will take time due to legal and logistical constraints,' the source added. In recent days, groups have gathered along the Syria-Lebanon border to protest over what they called Lebanon's 'unjust detention' of Syrians. Any move to close the border would strain Lebanon's already fragile economy and disrupt trade and movement. Adding to Beirut's concerns is the fear that Syria's demands may not stop with its own citizens. Lebanese security sources say there is growing concern that Damascus, under the rule of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, may eventually demand the release of Lebanese Islamist detainees. Many of these individuals were arrested for cross-border operations during the Syrian conflict, attacks on the Lebanese army and ties to ISIS. That possibility, officials warn, would pose a significant internal security challenge for Lebanon, already under pressure to quickly disarm Hezbollah, its most heavily armed military group. Lebanon also fears attacks by extremist groups following a deadly church bombing in Syria in June. Lebanon's General Security Directorate said in recent weeks it had arrested a 'terrorist' cell of mostly Syrians in Beirut that sought to carry out attacks in the Lebanese capital. Lebanon and Syria have many issues, including the roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The country, home to one of the world's biggest refugee populations, has sought a comprehensive resolution on refugee returns. There is also the issue of border security and the smuggling of drugs, goods and arms.
Arab News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria denies ‘escalatory intentions' towards Lebanon: sources
DUBAI: The Syrian government has denied reports that Damascus intends to take escalatory measures against Beirut over the case of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon, sources said on Friday. A source from Syria's Ministry of Information said the Syrian government considers the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons a top priority, adding that it is committed to resolving it swiftly through official channels between the two countries. Sources close to the Syrian government were previously quoted by a television channel saying Damascus was considering diplomatic and economic escalation against Beirut. The source claimed Damascus was considering the escalation over what it described as Lebanon's disregard to the fate of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons, which an unnamed official related to the Syrian information ministry also denied. Syrian authorities have accused Lebanon of procrastination to repatriate about one third of more than 2,000 of its imprisoned nationals. The fate of the Syrian prisoners has irritated Damascus given that Lebanon had announced in March that it was ready to repatriate them.
