Caretaker Justice Minister Henri Khoury meeting with a delegation from the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared on Dec. 11, 2024. (Credit: National News Agency)
Caretaker Justice Minister Henri Khoury met in his office Wednesday with a delegation from the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared, accompanied by Wadad Halawani, representative of the Committee of Families, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. Khoury emphasized "the necessity of activating the Commission's work and assisting in providing the material and logistical resources required to commence its operations."
The meeting was attended by Judge Ayman Ahmed, the liaison officer at the Justice Ministry, and focused on recent developments in the case, according to NNA.
The attendees agreed on the "urgent need to expedite the formation of the crisis cell called for by the Prime Minister, unify efforts and coordinate joint action between all relevant ministries, departments and entities, primarily the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared and the Detainees’ Committee."
On Saturday Halawani who has fought for the truth about those who disappeared during the Lebanese Civil War and beyond said that the news of detainees released from Syria brought a sense of cautious optimism to the families, some of whom were hoping to finally hear news of their loved ones.
She has repeatedly called on anyone with information to contact the committee or the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared.
According to human rights groups, an estimated 136,000 people were held in Assad’s prisons. More than 100,000 Syrians are thought to have gone missing during the country's 13-year insurgency, with many believed to have been detained in these prisons.
Additionally, around 700 Lebanese individuals are believed to have been held in Syria, having been taken during the three decades of Syrian military presence in Lebanon, many due to their political views.
On Sunday, the Syrian Republic under Bashar al-Assad collapsed amid major offensives by the Syrian opposition. Assad and his family fled the capital on a plane to Russia where they were granted asylum. The rebels subsequently declared victory against the Assad government on state television, while Russia's foreign ministry announced Assad's resignation and departure from Syria.
