National Commission for the Missing to send delegation to Syria

BEIRUT — A government emergency committee tasked with addressing the issue of Lebanese nationals missing in Syria held a meeting on Friday afternoon at the headquarters of the Independent National Commission, established in 2020, in Beirut. After the meeting, the committee announced plans for "the rapid dispatch of an official delegation" to meet with Syria's new authorities, according to a press release from the National News Agency (NNA).

The meeting for the missing individuals, estimated at 725, brought together representatives from multiple ministries — Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense, Justice, and Social Affairs — as well as members of the National Commission, including Vice-Chairman Ziad Achour.

Among the decisions made was the "centralization of all data" on the missing, with information being transferred from the relevant institutions. An official delegation, consisting of representatives from the ministries and the Commission, is expected to visit Syria soon to discuss the situation, establish contacts and assess the current circumstances.

Many Lebanese nationals have been detained in Syrian prisons for years, some for decades, after being arrested during the civil war or under Damascus’ control over Lebanon from 1976 to 2005. Syria has consistently refused to provide information on their fate, while Lebanese authorities have reportedly failed to pursue answers regarding these detentions.

In recent weeks, several Lebanese detainees have been repatriated following their release. Souheil Hamawi, who spent 33 years in a Syrian prison, recently returned to his home in North Lebanon. However, another detainee from Akkar, Ali Hassan al-Ali, identified by his family in photographs of prisoners released in Hama, has not yet returned, his relatives told L'Orient Today.