The Syrian government has received the second batch of convicted Syrian prisoners held in Lebanese prisons, a group of 128 people, as part of implementing the sentenced prisoner transfer agreement signed by Syria and Lebanon in early February.
The Media and Communication Department at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said Wednesday, June 24, that the handover followed ongoing diplomatic efforts and coordination with the relevant Lebanese authorities, as well as cooperation among the foreign, justice, and interior ministries in both countries.
The ministry added that the prisoner transfer was carried out under the agreement signed by Syria and Lebanon on February 6, concerning the exchange of convicted prisoners and strengthening judicial cooperation between the two countries.
The ministry said the step reflects both sides’ commitment to developing bilateral cooperation and address humanitarian and legal files, stressing that coordination will continue to complete implementation of the agreement’s provisions according to approved legal procedures.
This is the second batch transferred to Syria under the agreement, after the first group of Syrian prisoners arrived on March 17. That batch included 136 convicted prisoners held in Roumieh Central Prison and other Lebanese prisons, under the direct supervision of the Syrian Foreign Ministry and in coordination with the justice and interior ministries.
Agreement After Long Negotiations
The agreement came after a series of meetings and discussions between the Syrian and Lebanese sides in recent months, which ended with the signing of the sentenced prisoner transfer agreement on February 6.
Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais described the agreement after its signing as an important step toward addressing the conditions of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon, noting that contacts between the two countries had continued since December 8, 2024, at various political and judicial levels.
Al-Wais said at the time that the agreement addresses the cases of a number of prisoners who have spent long years inside Lebanese prisons, some of which are among the most legally complex cases. He stressed that work is continuing to prepare a timetable covering detainees not included in the current agreement.
For his part, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said the agreement resulted from joint efforts involving judges and legal experts from both countries. He described it as an expression of a shared political will to strengthen cooperation between Beirut and Damascus and address outstanding files between them.
The Lebanese Council of Ministers approved the agreement on the transfer of convicted persons between the two countries on January 30, allowing sentences to be served in the country of the prisoner’s nationality after the necessary legal procedures are completed.
Mitri also previously announced that Lebanon intends to hand over more than 300 Syrian prisoners to Damascus under the agreement, explaining that those covered include prisoners who have spent more than ten years in Lebanese prisons.
A Complex Humanitarian and Legal File
The file of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon is seen as one of the most complex humanitarian and legal issues between the two countries, given the large number of Syrians who have been held in Lebanese prisons for years.
Roumieh Prison, Lebanon’s largest prison, stands out as one of the main facilities holding Syrian prisoners. Located northeast of the capital, Beirut, the prison holds more than 4,000 inmates, although its original capacity does not exceed 1,200 prisoners, leading to chronic overcrowding and repeated criticism over detention conditions and health services.
In recent years, the prison has witnessed protests and hunger strikes by inmates demanding improved living and health conditions, amid warnings by rights organizations about deteriorating conditions inside Lebanese detention centers.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimated the number of Syrians detained in Roumieh Prison at about 2,000, including dozens of detainees or convicted prisoners held on grounds linked to their participation in the Syrian revolution.
In August 2023, Human Rights Watch said it had received complaints from the families of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon about the declining quality and insufficient quantity of food provided inside prisons. Amnesty International also warned in a report issued in June of the same year of rising deaths inside Lebanese detention centers and prisons compared with the years before Lebanon’s economic crisis.
Despite progress achieved through the transfer of two batches of Syrian prisoners, other files related to detainees, prisoners, and missing persons between the two countries remain under discussion.
As Damascus and Beirut work to complete implementation of the sentenced prisoner transfer agreement, there are no final official statistics on the number of Lebanese missing in Syria, while Lebanese associations concerned with the file estimate their number in the hundreds.
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