Lebanon and Syria agree on prisoner transfer, affecting hundreds of detainees

2026-02-06 - 13:15

Lebanon and Syria reached a bilateral agreement on Friday to repatriate over 300 Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanese facilities to prisons in Damascus. The deal, announced as a practical step to tackle the significant Syrian detainee population in Lebanon, will see its implementation begin this Saturday. Announcement Details Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri made the announcement at a joint press conference in Beirut alongside Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar Al-Wais. Mitri framed the agreement as a reflection of "a shared political will between Beirut and Damascus to reset bilateral relations on the basis of mutual trust and respect." He emphasized it targets sentenced prisoners, particularly those detained during the Syrian conflict. Complexities and Future Plans Syrian Justice Minister Al-Wais acknowledged the complexity of the issue, noting that the current arrangement is not comprehensive. "The file of Syrian prisoners is complex and cannot be resolved through a single, comprehensive arrangement," he stated. Al-Wais added that Damascus is preparing a phased plan to handle cases not included in this initial transfer, positioning this agreement as a foundational step for continued judicial coordination. Regional and Bilateral Context This prisoner transfer follows months of renewed diplomatic engagement between the two neighboring countries. It comes after a Syrian delegation's visit to Beirut in October 2025 and Mitri's official trip to Damascus in November 2025. The moves occur in a changed regional landscape following the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024. Official estimates indicate that Syrian nationals constitute about a third of Lebanon's total prison population, with roughly 2,500 individuals detained.