Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and Syrian Minister of Justice Mazhar al-Wais, in Beirut, October 14, 2025. Photo SANA.
Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri announced Tuesday to L'Orient-Le Jour that a “first draft of the judicial agreement” between Lebanon and Syria has been completed, as a Syrian judicial delegation was in Beirut for an official visit devoted to addressing pending issues.
“We have a first draft of the agreement which will be submitted to the respective authorities,” he said, adding that “the situation of [untried] detainees is easier to resolve” and that “prisoners convicted of homicide or because of fighting against the Lebanese Army will not be extradited to Syria.”
Similarly, Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who met with his Syrian counterpart Mazhar al-Louais al-Wais and the delegation, clarified: “The agreement with Syria does not concern those involved in fighting against the Lebanese Army. I also discussed with my counterpart the assassinations that took place in Lebanon under the former regime.”
During the meeting, which lasted about two hours according to the Lebanese Ministry of Justice, the ministry stated in a statement that “significant progress has been made in drafting a judicial agreement between Lebanon and Syria.” The statement specifies that both sides agreed to “support the follow-up commission on the file of those forcibly disappeared,” to “hand over all information in Syria’s possession regarding security operations that occurred in Lebanon under the previous regime, especially political assassinations,” and to “locate fugitives from Lebanese justice residing in Syria in order to hand them over to Lebanese authorities.” The ministry emphasized that these advances result from initiatives that began last month and will continue in future meetings.
Commenting on the Syrian visit, Mitri described the meeting as “very positive” and noted that “the delegation requested to visit Roumieh prison to inquire about the situation of certain detainees.” Committee meetings are expected to continue in Damascus, while Kassoun is expected to soon start his post in the Syrian capital, and Damascus will shortly appoint a chargé d’affaires in Beirut.
According to comments reported by the official Syrian news agency Sana, al-Wais said that the positions of the two countries were “closely aligned” and that the discussions were taking place within the appropriate legal framework.
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani met on Friday in Beirut with several senior Lebanese officials, including his counterpart Joe Rajji and President Joseph Aoun. According to information obtained by L’Orient-Le Jour, Syria requested the release of all its citizens detained in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities replied that this was not immediately possible for judicial reasons and that the process needed to follow the proper legal procedures.
The Lebanese minister of justice insisted on the need for a joint judicial agreement requiring a law passed by Parliament, while the prime minister proposed a fast-track mechanism not requiring his formal approval. Shaibani then underlined the urgency of releasing the detainees in the coming days, or, failing that, at least 500 of them.
Lebanon, however, specified that it could not release so many at once and that this would have to be done gradually, in small groups, following the mandatory judicial process. A Lebanese judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that about 2,250 Syrians are detained in the country’s overcrowded prisons.
