Lebanon Transfers Second Batch of 128 Syrian Prisoners to Damascus

On Wednesday, Lebanese authorities delivered 128 Syrian convicts to Damascus, according to a security source. This marks the second batch transferred since the two sides signed an agreement in February to return convicts to their home country, aiming to resolve a complex issue between Lebanon and Syria.

Lebanon’s overcrowded prisons hold approximately 2,000 Syrians detained on various charges, including terrorism, membership in extremist organizations, and involvement with armed factions. Many have been referred to the military court. Others face accusations of launching attacks against the Lebanese army in border areas during the peak years of the Syrian conflict, when Hezbollah intervened alongside the forces of the ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to France Press.

The security source, who requested anonymity, stated, "Lebanese authorities handed over the second batch of Syrian convicts in Lebanon to Damascus, comprising 128 prisoners."

This handover on Wednesday follows the first transfer over three months ago, on March 17, which involved 132 Syrian convicts. To date, a total of 260 convicts have been transferred to Damascus out of approximately 356 Syrian prisoners held in Roumieh prison, Lebanon’s largest detention facility, the same source indicated.

The issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanon remains one of the unresolved matters between the two countries, alongside disputes over borders, smuggling, missing persons, and forcibly disappeared individuals.