Syria and Lebanon signed an agreement today, Friday, February 6, to transfer convicted Syrian inmates from Lebanese prisons to Syria.
The agreement was signed in Beirut, attended by Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, and Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar, alongside an official Syrian delegation.
Al-Wais described the agreement as an important step toward justice, noting that it addresses the situation of convicted Syrians in Lebanon.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted al-Wais as speaking at a press conference held after the signing. He said judicial and political cooperation between Syria and Lebanon had produced an important humanitarian and legal step on the detainees file, following months of continuous contacts and consultations between the two sides.
Al-Wais said contacts between the two countries have not stopped since December 8, 2024, and have taken place at the highest levels, reflecting genuine political will to resolve this sensitive file with its legal and humanitarian dimensions.
He explained that what has been achieved includes addressing the situation of a number of convicted inmates who have spent long periods in prison, and whose cases were among the most legally complex.
According to al-Wais, this measure will help ease suffering and reassure inmates and their families, and will serve as a foundation for subsequent stages of joint work.
He added that work is ongoing to prepare a timeline plan to address the file of detainees who were not covered by the current agreement.
This step, al-Wais said, carries a highly important humanitarian dimension and forms a basis on which broader cooperation between the two countries can be built. He also confirmed that there is political will on both sides to move forward, despite some unresolved files.
Transfer of convicted inmates between the two countries
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Syria and Lebanon signed an agreement on transferring convicted individuals from the country where the ruling was issued to the country of the inmate’s nationality.
The agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri as saying after the signing that the agreement was the culmination of efforts involving a number of judges and experts from Syria and Lebanon.
He described the signing as an expression of shared political will, indicating that Lebanese Syrian relations are based on trust and mutual respect, and on a desire for cooperation between two countries with intertwined ties.
He said the agreement addresses one aspect of a key and complex issue, but it represents the beginning of a broader path to deal with the case of Syrian prisoners and detainees in Lebanese prisons.
Mitri added that the agreement was approved unanimously by Lebanon’s Council of Ministers, and that implementation will begin on the morning of Saturday, February 7. Work will continue on drafting an agreement to address the situation of detainees across their various categories, and to pursue swift and effective solutions to the issue.
Previous arrangements
Lebanon’s Presidency of the Council of Ministers announced on Thursday, February 5, in a statement on X, that Lebanon and Syria would sign an agreement to transfer convicted individuals from the country where the ruling was issued to the country of the inmate’s nationality.
The Presidency said the agreement would be signed in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar, and an official Syrian delegation.
Lebanon’s Council of Ministers had approved the agreement with Syria during its session held on Friday, January 30, regarding the transfer of convicted persons from the country where the ruling was issued to the country of the detainee’s nationality.
Mitri also announced that Beirut intends to hand over Damascus more than 300 Syrian prisoners under an agreement between the two countries. His remarks came in response to journalists’ questions after a Council of Ministers session held at the Lebanese Presidency headquarters in Baabda (east of Beirut).
Mitri said Lebanon’s Council of Ministers approved an agreement with Damascus providing for the transfer of convicted prisoners to complete their sentences in their home country. He explained that the agreement covers those who have spent more than 10 years in Lebanese prisons (equivalent to about seven years served).
In a related context, Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, announced in October 2025 that an agreement had been reached with the Lebanese government to hand over a number of Syrian prisoners, excluding those involved in crimes that resulted in the killing of civilians.
This came during an official visit by a senior Syrian delegation to the Lebanese capital, described at the time as the first of its kind in years.
In a statement to the government-run Syrian TV channel al-Ikhbariya, al-Ahmad said the Lebanese side showed strong responsiveness to Syrian demands related to the detainees file, expressing hope that this step would help turn the page on the past.
He pointed out that a number of Syrians in Lebanese prisons face “fabricated charges or ones based on suspicion,” as he put it.
The post Damascus and Beirut Sign Agreement to Transfer Convicted Syrians Back to Their Country appeared first on Enab Baladi.