A Syrian-Lebanese agreement to hand over 300 detainees next week

Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Mitri revealed to Agence France-Presse on Saturday that Lebanon and Syria will sign an agreement next week regarding the handover of about 300 Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons, the day after the government approved this step.

The issue of the Syrian detainees is one of the outstanding files to rearrange relations between Beirut and Damascus after the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad.

Mitri reported that the agreement, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday, will include about 300 Syrian convicts who spent 10 years or more in Lebanese prisons.

Mitri confirmed that the agreement “will be signed in Beirut next week” to enter into direct implementation, and that the Minister of Justice or the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs is likely to attend.

In its session on Friday, the Lebanese Council of Ministers approved “the agreement between Lebanon and Syria regarding the transfer of convicted persons from the country of issuance of the sentence to the country of nationality of the detainee,” according to a statement issued by the government.

Mitri explained, “The Syrian convicts will not be released, but will be extradited to their country to carry out the remainder of their sentences there.”

The Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister indicated that concluding the agreement “constitutes a major step in resolving the outstanding problems between the two countries and a real opportunity to build new relations with Syria based on trust and mutual respect in a way that serves the highest interests of the two countries.”