Aoun: ‘Prison overcrowding is not solved by a general amnesty’

President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that he favors "speeding up trials" over passing a general amnesty law, as the fate of Islamist detainees incarcerated in Lebanese prisons has become a central topic of debate in recent weeks.

In a statement made during a meeting with a delegation from the "Lebanese Youth Movement" at Baabda Presidential Palace, Aoun stated that "prison overcrowding is not solved by a general amnesty, but by accelerating trials, ruling on the fate of detainees, and delivering justice to victims," stressing that "no one is above the law."

The issue of a general amnesty has resurfaced after an official agreement was signed last Friday between Lebanon and Syria to transfer about 300 convicted Syrian detainees held in Lebanon’s overcrowded prisons. This first arrangement comes as Damascus is demanding the extradition of all Syrians imprisoned in Lebanese jails, including those prosecuted on charges of killing Lebanese soldiers.

Tripoli MP Faisal Karameh once again called on Wednesday for a general amnesty law to be enacted to resolve the "injustice" done to these detainees, who have been held for many years without trial and, according to him, are "hostages of neglect and perpetual postponement" of their judgment.

According to figures obtained by L’Orient-Le Jour in September 2025, more than 80 percent of detainees in Lebanon have still not been tried, while nearly one-third of the more than 6,000 officially registered prisoners in Lebanon are Syrian nationals.

Among Islamist detainees, 55 percent remain in prison without a court ruling. Mohammad Sablouh, an attorney representing several of them, said in February 2025 there are reportedly 350 Islamist detainees in total, including 180 Lebanese and 170 Syrians.

With a maximum capacity of 4,760 places, Lebanon’s prison facilities report an overcrowding rate of at least 180 percent. The rate reaches nearly 300 percent at Roumieh Prison (Metn), the country’s largest.