Syrian Social Nationalist Party: Include Habib Al-Shartouni's File in Any General Amnesty Law

Issued by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the following statement: "In light of ongoing discussions regarding the enactment of a general amnesty law in Lebanon, the party wishes to affirm its principled and national stance on judicial files, including those related to the Lebanese war, foremost among them the case of Amin Habib Al-Shartouni.

The party emphasized its position on the following points:

- Equality and selective justice: The party believes that any amnesty law not based on uniform and comprehensive criteria is a deficient law. At a time when major files concerning victims among prime ministers, party leaders, military figures, media personalities, and thousands of citizens during the civil war have been closed, it is impermissible to exclude the case of Amin Habib Al-Shartouni, which arose in the context of a national existential struggle against the Zionist occupation and its tools at that time.

- Historical and national context: The act carried out by Amin Habib Al-Shartouni in 1982 was not a mere criminal act, but a political and military stance stemming from confronting the project to Israelize Lebanon and the attempt to attach Lebanon to the Zionist camp. Legally nullifying the effects of this act is an explicit recognition of the victory of the resistance option later consecrated by the Lebanese people.

- Rejection of selectivity: The party's legal and political circles are astonished by the state's tendency to release detainees in terrorism cases that affect state security, or to extradite others to external parties, while Al-Shartouni's file remains suspended as a pawn for political wrangling. The principle of 'God forgives what is past,' applied to warlords and leaders who engaged in the blood of Lebanese, must necessarily be applied to those who confronted the Zionist enemy."

The statement continued: "Accordingly, the party calls on the Lebanese state to include the file of Amin Habib Al-Shartouni in any general amnesty law being prepared, like all cases that were closed with the end of the war, to cease exploiting the judiciary to settle political scores dating back to an era that Lebanon has moved beyond with the Taif Agreement, the liberation of the land, and the vindication of fighters who paid heavy prices for the sake of Lebanon's dignity, unity, and identity."

It concluded: "Fidelity to the martyrs and preserving internal stability require courage in closing past files with fairness, away from spite and dependence on external forces."