President Joseph Aoun (center) during a meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace with Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and several judges, on Dec. 19, 2025. (Credit: @LBpresidency/X)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chaired a meeting Friday focused on ongoing discussions aimed at reaching an agreement with Syria regarding Syrian prisoners and detainees currently incarcerated in Lebanese prisons, according to a statement from the presidency published on X.
Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Justice Minister Adel Nassar, and several judges attended the meeting, which focused on reviewing possible legal frameworks to formalize an agreement.
Authorities want to "establish the best possible relations with Syria and strengthen joint cooperation in various fields," the statement said.
At the end of the meeting, Mitri stated that the president had given "clear directives to study the best possible legal solutions to reach an agreement with the Syrian side."
Syria is seeking to expedite the release of thousands of its nationals held in Lebanon's overcrowded prisons, some of whom have never even stood trial.
But Beirut insists on upholding the legal framework set by the justice minister: All those accused of terrorism, rape or attacks against the army will not be transferred to Syria.
This position has fueled fears of a diplomatic rift between Lebanon and the new Syria, one year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Mitri, who handles the bilateral relations portfolio, is working to prevent such a scenario, as tensions have been reported following the most recent visit by a judicial delegation to Damascus.
Two judges and the deputy prime minister’s adviser had submitted a draft agreement to Syrian authorities to allow for the transfer to Syria of persons still held in Lebanon but already sentenced.
However, a government source said the document the Lebanese delegation was supposed to hand over to their Syrian counterparts may have been altered, jeopardizing the ongoing discussions.
