Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Serail on March 26, 2023. (Credit: Mikati's press office)
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on Wednesday with a delegation of relatives of Islamist detainees, as their calls for a general amnesty for the prisoners resurface following the fall of the Syrian regime. The families have renewed their demands for a "solution" to the longstanding issue.
During the meeting, Mikati expressed his support for a "definitive solution" to the case, describing it as a file that has remained "open for years." He voiced hope that ongoing or proposed legislative efforts would soon result in a general amnesty. One such proposal has been advanced by the National Moderation, a group of parliamentarians affiliated with the Future Movement, led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Mikati also noted that he had instructed caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury to establish a committee comprising representatives from the judiciary, the Internal Security Forces and the Red Crescent to assess the conditions of Lebanon's overcrowded and underfunded prisons. The country’s ongoing economic crisis has exacerbated these issues.
Additionally, Mikati emphasized that he had asked to expedite processing the cases involving untried detainees to ensure "justice is done." A recent report by the Prisons Commission of the Beirut Bar Association revealed that 8,402 individuals are currently imprisoned in Lebanon, with 83% awaiting trial.
The fall of the Assad regime and the ascent of the Islamist-led rebel coalition Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus have reignited protests by relatives of Islamist detainees, who hope the political shift could lead to the prisoners' release.
However, discussions of a general amnesty remain contentious in Lebanon, often delayed due to political and sectarian divisions. Various communities push for amnesty tied to specific issues, often controversial, creating ongoing stalemates within the country’s fractured political landscape.