Syrian parliament building, on the day of newly formed People's Assembly inaugural session, the first parliament session since the end of the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, July 12, 2026. (Credit: Khalil Ashawi/ Reuters)
Lebanese authorities detained a former Syrian army officer following an arrest warrant from Damascus accusing him of "killing and crimes against humanity," a judicial official told AFP on Saturday.
Adel Issa, a 67-year-old former officer in the Syrian army's 17th brigade under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, headed to his country's embassy in Beirut for paperwork on Friday, the official said on condition of anonymity.
When staff learned of an arrest warrant from Damascus filed in absentia for the "crimes of killing and crimes against humanity during his time with the Syrian army," they called on Lebanese authorities to detain him, the official added.
He is still in their custody, and Lebanon's public prosecutor has asked his Syrian counterpart to send the suspect's extradition file before Beirut decides whether to hand him over.
Since Assad's fall in December 2024, Syrian authorities have arrested dozens of people they say committed crimes during the country's 13-year civil war, and trials began in April.
Lebanon and Syria have expressed their determination to open a new chapter in their relations since Assad's ouster and the weakening of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a key Assad ally.
Under The Assad family, Syria exercised tutelage over its neighbor for decades, and was accused of carrying out numerous assassinations there.
Since 2024, officials from the two countries have met on several occasions, agreeing to cooperate on a number of issues including security.
