Bassil criticizes negotiations with Damascus: Lebanon's priorities are different

Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil on Thursday accused Lebanese authorities of negotiating the release of Syrian prisoners — a “priority” for Damascus — at the expense of Lebanon’s own priorities, namely “the immediate return of Syrian migrants” and the issue of missing Lebanese citizens.

“The authorities are currently negotiating the release of Syrian prisoners, a priority for Damascus, but Lebanon’s priorities are different. Of course, the issue of detainees must be resolved, but not at the expense of the bloodshed by the army,” Bassil said in a post on X. “Lebanon’s priorities start with the immediate return of the displaced, not to mention the issue of the missing, for which you accused former President Michel Aoun of having made concessions. So, show us your actions!”

The issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanon has resurfaced since a rebel coalition led by Ahmad al-Sharaa took power in Damascus in December 2024.

On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri told L'Orient-Le Jour that a “first draft of the judicial agreement” between the two countries was ready, as a Syrian judicial delegation was in Beirut for an official visit focused on resolving outstanding issues.

“We have a first draft of the agreement that will be presented to the respective authorities,” he said, adding that “the situation of [untried] detainees is easier to resolve” and that “prisoners convicted of homicide or for fighting against the Lebanese Army will not be extradited to Syria.”

A Lebanese judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that about 2,250 Syrians are being held in Lebanon’s overcrowded prisons, while Syria has requested the release of all its nationals detained in the country.

Bassil, who has made the issue of Syrian refugees and migrants his main focus in his populist rhetoric, once again emphasized the need for an organized and swift return to Syria.