Lebanon Nears Completion of Syrian Prisoner Deportation Plan

A report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

The file concerning the deportation of Syrian prisoners from Lebanon to Syria is now on the verge of completion. The General Security, assigned by the government to coordinate with the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, is close to finalizing a detailed list of these individuals, including their sentences and the crimes they have committed.

In Lebanon, there are approximately 2,500 Syrians in prisons, accounting for about 35 percent of the overall inmate population, according to statistics from the Ministry of Interior. 

Around 1,900 of these individuals have committed criminal offenses, with 82 percent of them yet to be tried. The remaining 600 are political dissidents or accused of terrorist activities and may fall under the United Nations Convention Against Torture of 1984, which prohibits the extradition of individuals who may face torture in their home country.

The acting Director General of General Security, Major General Elias Baysari, told LBCI that the file is complex and sensitive. Each name is being scrutinized individually, and the committee assigned to this issue will hold its final meeting next week before preparing a detailed project in cooperation with the Public Prosecutor's Office, after which contact will be made with the Syrian side.

“We will abide by the agreements between the two countries and international law. Our aim is not to harm anyone. Convicted individuals have the right to review and reject deportation even in criminal cases, and they can agree to or refuse deportation," Baysari added.
Baysari also noted that it is currently impossible to amend any agreement or treaty due to the absence of a president in Lebanon.

According to judicial sources, a number of individuals who were previously issued deportation orders by the Public Prosecutor’s Office were not refused by the Syrian side. Therefore, the Lebanese state needs to prepare its official document and discuss it with Syria.