The “overcrowding of priorities” within the Syrian transitional government has prevented it from placing the issue of detained Syrian dissidents in Lebanon at the forefront, according to a spokesperson for Syrian prisoners in Roumieh Prison, east of Beirut, who relayed the response from the new government.

Following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, prisons across Syria were opened, releasing all detainees, including a few Lebanese citizens who had spent decades in Assad’s prisons.

Based on this, detained Syrians in Lebanon are now demanding their release, arguing that the collapse of the regime invalidates the terrorism-related accusations against them, which were originally made due to their support for the opposition or their affiliation with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which had defected from the regime’s military, according to lawyer Mohammad Sablouh.

This discussion does not include detainees convicted of theft, criminal offenses, or other penal charges. Instead, it focuses on those imprisoned for their opposition to the former regime or those who sought refuge in Lebanon after defecting from the Syrian army. Their number is estimated to be around 200 detainees, according to Sablouh.

Fugitives Who Became Prisoners

One prisoner told Daraj that he protested against Assad at the beginning of the revolution, and when the war broke out, he was forced to send his family to Lebanon before joining them. Since then, he has been languishing in prison without trial, after being reported by an informant loyal to the previous regime, leading to his ultimate imprisonment.

Another detainee stated that he was imprisoned solely for supporting the Syrian revolution and opposing the “barrel bomb” regime. He too has been in Roumieh Prison for years without trial or clear charges.

In this context, current Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa raised the issue of “prisoners of conscience” in Lebanon during negotiations with former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Both parties pledged to follow up on the matter closely to ensure the detainees’ return to Syria. However, the issue remains unresolved between the two countries, awaiting the appointment of a Syrian official to handle it and the formation of a specialized committee within the transitional government.

Syrian Delays and Stalled Progress

The regime change in Syria and the liberation of prisoners had a positive psychological impact on detainees in Lebanon, who became hopeful for their imminent release, according to Ahmad (a pseudonym), a spokesperson for Syrian prisoners in Roumieh Prison.

Some families even protested in Damascus, demanding the return of their loved ones and pressuring the Syrian government to act on the long-stalled issue. The Syrian Foreign Ministry, under the directive of al-Sharaa, later issued a statement affirming an agreement to repatriate Syrian detainees from Lebanese prisons.

However, despite public statements from both Lebanese and Syrian sides, no concrete action has been taken to address the issue, according to Ahmad. “The Syrian government has yet to appoint an official to follow up on the case,” he told Daraj, adding that no specialized committee has been formed either.

Ahmad has been working with a group of volunteers to pressure the Syrian government into creating a committee specifically focused on repatriating political prisoners from Lebanon’s prisons, including those held in Roumieh and under military police custody.

When Daraj reached out to former Lebanese Minister of Justice, Judge Henri Khoury, for comment, we received no response. The same happened when we contacted former Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

However, the new Minister of Justice, Adel Nassar, stated in a phone call with Daraj that he is trying to follow up on the matter but asked for patience until the ministerial statement is finalized.

Recently, the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanon has gained more attention, especially after nearly 100 prisoners went on hunger strike and detainees’ families appealed to the new government. However, government-aligned media has only stated that “the matter is under review.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights issued a statement declaring:
“Syrian detainees, particularly in Roumieh Prison, are enduring inhumane detention conditions, including severe overcrowding, a lack of medical and food supplies, and the spread of infectious diseases, in addition to being denied contact with their families. Many have been subjected to unfair trials before Lebanese military courts or military investigative judges, based on confessions extracted through torture and threats. These coerced confessions led to them being charged with terrorism, resulting in severe prison sentences or indefinite pretrial detention.”

“Terrorism” Charges Against Assad’s Opponents

In 2023, while Samer (a pseudonym) was collecting a $4,000 money transfer from a friend abroad, Lebanese security forces raided his home and arrested him for investigation, suspecting the funds’ source.

Following a series of interrogation sessions, he was accused of receiving funds to finance operations against the Syrian regime from Lebanon and was subsequently imprisoned in Roumieh. However, his lawyer, Mohammad Sablouh, appealed the ruling and provided evidence proving his innocence, prompting the court to order his release. But at the beginning of this year, he was arrested again on the same charges and remains behind bars to this day.

The first Lebanese army raids on refugee camps date back to 2017 when 80 Syrian refugees were arrested and, according to an Amnesty International report, subjected to severe human rights violations. They were later convicted of being part of an “armed gang,” a charge that continues to be used against many detained Syrians in Lebanon.

The Amnesty report stated: “Lebanese security forces have committed shocking violations against Syrian refugees who have been arrested, often arbitrarily, on terrorism-related charges, employing some of the same atrocious torture techniques that are used in Syria’s most notorious prisons, said Amnesty International in a damning new report published today.”

Regarding torture methods, several detainees told the organization that they had been subjected to the same notorious techniques used in Syrian prisons, such as: “Flying Carpet” (Basat Al-Rih): where a detainee is strapped onto a foldable wooden board; “Ghost” (Shabeh): where a prisoner is hung by their wrists and beaten; and “Balanco”:where the person is suspended for hours with their wrists tied behind their back.

Can These Charges Be Overturned?

Samer confirms that some detainees have been imprisoned since 2014 on charges related to fighting the Syrian regime or belonging to “terrorist groups.” This was corroborated by Sablouh, who noted that some Syrians in Lebanon were imprisoned merely for contacting Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmad al-Sharaa) or having links to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has ruled Syria since December 8.

While the Lebanese military court previously classified the Free Syrian Army (FSA) as a “terrorist” group—even after its members fled to Lebanon as refugees escaping Assad’s regime—the Lebanese Court of Cassation overturned this decision in 2018, according to a ruling reviewed by Daraj.

Most Syrians convicted of terrorism charges serve around a year to a year and a half in Lebanese prisons. However, under Lebanese law, according to Sablouh, the terrorism charge mandates a minimum of seven years in prison if the accused is proven to have merely communicated with a terrorist group, even without participating in its activities.

As a result, some Syrians detained in Lebanon have paid the price for political maneuvers that align with the interests of the pro-Assad axis, according to some judges who spoke with Sablouh.