Rajji discusses Syrian detainees in Lebanon with counterpart Shibani

Foreign Minister Joe Rajji held a phone call on Thursday with his Syrian counterpart, Assaad al-Shibani, to discuss several bilateral issues, including the matter of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons.

According to a statement from the ministry published by the state-run National News Agency, Shibani reiterated "the Syrian government's request to address this issue in compliance with current judicial procedures," stressing that Damascus "has never demanded, and will not demand, the release or extradition of any Lebanese prisoner, accused or convicted."

Two Lebanese delegations traveled to Damascus last Sunday to address the issue of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon as well as the two countries' shared border.

Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, who oversees Lebanon-Syria relations, said the first delegation included three judges who will begin work with their Syrian counterparts to draft a new bilateral judicial cooperation agreement, which would serve as the basis for the repatriation of certain prisoners.

The issue has resurfaced since a rebel coalition led by Islamists took power in Damascus in December 2024. Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar said in August that 2,400 Syrian prisoners — accounting for 30 percent of the total inmate population — are incarcerated in Lebanon.

Syrian detainees in Lebanon fall into three categories: those convicted of misdemeanors, those convicted of felonies, and those who have not yet been tried. Syria is requesting the repatriation of all of them so they can be tried or serve their sentences on its territory.