Souheil Hamawi embracing relatives on his arrival in Chekka, North Lebanon, on Dec. 9, 2024. (Credit: Photo provided by our regional correspondent Michel Hallak)
Souheil Hamawi, a Lebanese national detained in Syria for 33 years, has returned to his home in North Lebanon. Hamawi, who claimed he was arrested in December 1992 at his home in Chekka, arrived in his village accompanied by a brass band and was welcomed by relatives in an emotional reunion, according to our correspondent Michel Hallak.
In an interview with local television, Hamawi recounted his ordeal, stating that he had been arrested when his son was just 10 months old. Now a grandfather, Hamawi expressed eagerness to meet his family after decades apart. He revealed that he had been transferred between several Syrian regime prisons before ending up in Latakia’s coastal facility, where he was the only Lebanese detainee. For 15 years, his family had no information about his whereabouts, though they later managed to locate him and have occasional contact. Hamawi paid tribute to his wife for enduring what he described as significant hardships in his absence.
Hamawi is the first confirmed Lebanese detainee to return home following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. His release came during a lightning offensive led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTC), which reportedly freed all prisoners held by the regime.
While reports circulate of other Lebanese detainees being released, only one other case has been confirmed: Ali Hassan al-Ali, a man from Akkar, who was freed from Hama prison last week. However, al-Ali has not yet returned to Lebanon, according to his family.
Ammar Abboud, director of ACT for the Disappeared, warned against unverified reports of releases. “Most information on social media has proven false, so we remain extremely cautious,” he told L’Orient Today.
Meeting with the national commission
The release of detainees has prompted Lebanese officials to take action. Caretaker Justice Minister Henri Khoury convened a meeting with the national commission for detainees in Syrian prisons, chaired by Beirut prosecutor Ziad Abou Haidar. The commission is coordinating with Internal Security Forces, General Security and State Security to verify information on released detainees, reported NNA. One of the commission's members, General Ali Taha, was also tasked with gathering all available information on the released detainees.
Meanwhile, Kataeb party leader MP Samy Gemayel has called on the caretaker government to take "urgent measures" to address the issue of the "622 Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons." Gemayel demanded confirmation of the identities of the released individuals and measures to secure their return, deeming the matter a “humanitarian priority.” He urged the Cabinet to respond within two weeks.
Criticism has also resurfaced over the handling of Lebanese detainees during Michel Aoun’s presidency (2016–2022). A hashtag accusing Aoun of being a "traitor" is trending on social media, referencing his 2008 meeting with Bashar al-Assad, during which the Syrian president denied the existence of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons.