Lebanon, Syria sign deal to transfer 300+ Syrian detainees back to Syria

Overview

Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement to transfer more than 300 Syrian nationals from Lebanese prisons to continue serving their sentences in Syria. The pact was signed in Beirut by Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and Syria’s Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais after Lebanon’s Cabinet approved a prisoner-transfer treaty last week. Implementation was set to begin the day after the signing, and officials said the arrangement covers convicted individuals while talks will continue about Syrians still awaiting trial in Lebanon.

Context and implications

Lebanese officials framed the move as a confidence-building step that could help ease long-standing tensions between the neighbors. There are roughly 2,500 Syrians detained across Lebanese facilities; Lebanese authorities say most of those slated for transfer were not convicted of violent crimes, though some convicted of violent offenses could be relocated if they have already served about seven and a half years. The agreement comes against a backdrop of fraught bilateral relations—rooted in Syria’s past military presence in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian conflict, and recent border skirmishes following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024—and officials described the deal as an initial measure toward greater cooperation, as reported by ABC News