As Syria’s crisis shifts, Lebanon revisits prisoner amnesty amid growing pressure, political divides

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Over the years, several proposals for a general amnesty law for prisoners have been presented, but each time, they have reached a dead end in discussions between parliamentary blocs for various reasons.

Every time the issue of Islamist detainees affiliated with the Sunni sect was raised, it was met with a counterargument involving detainees arrested for various crimes, mainly drug trafficking, the majority of whom are from the Bekaa region. 

In between these two demands, the Christian blocs would bring up the issue of deportees in Israel, resulting in the proposals being shelved in the Parliament.

Today, with the collapse of the Syrian regime, a delegation from the Muslim Scholars Association met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who revealed that he would demand the release of Syrian detainees in Lebanon connected to the Syrian revolution, once the internal situation in Syria is resolved. 

As a result, religious figures in Lebanon have started to revive the issue of Islamist detainees, pushing for the release of those detained on charges linked to Syrian detainees, fearing that Syrians will be released while Lebanese prisoners remain in custody. 

The first step will be a move organized by the Muslim Scholars Association next Sunday in downtown Beirut.

At the same time, a new general amnesty law proposal is being worked on by the National Moderation Bloc, which is withholding details before finalizing the draft. 

According to sources from the bloc, the proposal generally stipulates the pardon of sentenced and detained individuals, except for those convicted of military murder, bombing crimes and those facing personal lawsuits.

For those convicted in these cases, typically facing the death penalty or life imprisonment, the proposal includes the possibility of sentence reductions, which has become a point of contention. 

A segment of religious leaders opposes the length of the proposed reduction, calling for it to be shortened.

Regarding drug-related cases, the proposal differentiates between serious drug traffickers and ordinary individuals accused or suspected of involvement. 

In security matters, the proposal also eliminates all communication documents, or "303 memos," that were previously issued by military intelligence for checkpoints to arrest individuals based on security suspicions.

The National Moderation Bloc’s proposal has not yet been presented to the parliamentary blocs for review and feedback. 

However, some of the lawmakers acknowledged that there are individuals wrongfully imprisoned, especially given that more than 6,000 detainees are still awaiting trial. 

These lawmakers also note that anyone involved in the killing of a military official will not be released.

Public opinion, however, differs. Sources in the Detainees' Families Committee in Baalbek-Hermel say they are not looking to serve the demands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. 

The question remains: will this issue create a new rift in society, or will it be resolved due to the new political equations in the region?