Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais at the Grand Serail, Feb. 6, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Lebanon and Syria officially signed on Friday the agreement on the transfer of around 300 Syrian inmates who have been convicted and are currently imprisoned in Lebanon's overcrowded jails, announced Vice President of the Council Tarek Mitri alongside Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais, from the Grand Serail in Beirut.
Led since September by Mitri, the issue of transferring Syrian inmates resulted in the adoption of an agreement for the repatriation of those sentenced in Lebanon back to their country of nationality.
Under its terms, about 300 Syrians could be affected, out of a total of about 2,250 held in Lebanon. This agreement, approved last week by the government, was a Damascus demand as part of discussions between the two countries to improve their relations.
After the official signing of the document, Mitri emphasized that it was "the fruit of sustained efforts and an expression of a shared political will, affirming that Lebanese-Syrian relations are founded on trust and mutual respect."
He also added that this agreement "is a first step, not the last, paving the way for a broader process to resolve the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons."
Existing complexities
For his part, Syrian Minister Wais reported progress in handling several sensitive judicial issues, despite "existing complexities."
He noted that "measures have been taken regarding the case of those missing who have spent lengthy periods in detention" in Syria, while stressing that "Syrian authorities are working on a timeline to address the cases of inmates not covered by the current agreement."
Wais finally stated that the progress made constitutes "an important step on the path to justice" by resolving the situation of those convicted.
Asked about the number of people affected by the agreement, Wais specified that it involved "about 300 inmates."
The main element of the agreement stipulates that the transfer of inmates is limited to those already tried, provided that those convicted of the most serious crimes, such as rape and murder, have served more than 10 years of their sentence in Lebanon.
Therefore, Syrian prisoners awaiting trial are excluded, even though, in early discussions, Syria also requested their transfer.
In this context, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani met in October in Beirut with several top Lebanese officials, including his counterpart, Joe Rajji, and President Joseph Aoun, to obtain the transfer of all Syrian inmates in Lebanon.
At the same time, the Syrian justice minister met with Mitri and his Lebanese counterpart, Adel Nassar, to address the issue of the detainees.
The agreement also provides for reciprocity for Lebanese nationals convicted in Syria and imposes strict conditions, including the inmate's written consent and the submission of judicial documents certifying the conviction and the duration of the sentence.
The convention, made up of 18 articles, will come into force 30 days after signature by both parties.
