Justice Minister Adel Nassar said Lebanon is working on a clear legal framework to resolve the issue of Syrian detainees, stressing that any agreement must safeguard Lebanese sovereignty and be grounded in “trust and mutual respect” with Damascus.

“Work on this agreement is ongoing and will be announced once finalized within the legal and regulatory frameworks,” Nassar told Annahar, underscoring that Beirut will not compromise its sovereignty in dealing with the matter.

His comments come as the issue of Syrian detainees has resurfaced following the leak of a Lebanese Army communication revealing plans by armed groups to kidnap soldiers in order to exchange them for Syrian prisoners held in Lebanon. The leak coincided with threats from Syrian clans warning of action against Lebanon unless detainees are freed, sharpening a debate that has long strained bilateral ties.

Syrians account for nearly 30 percent of inmates in Lebanese prisons. Most are held in Roumieh Prison, while others are scattered in smaller facilities and across 25 police detention centers.

The majority face charges such as murder, theft, kidnapping and drug trafficking. Others are convicted or accused of terrorism, including attacks on Lebanese soldiers in Arsal since 2013, shootings at army units elsewhere, and bombings in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley between 2013 and 2016.

Tensions escalated after the recent death of a Syrian inmate in Roumieh, who had been serving a terrorism sentence. Internal Security Forces said the prisoner had long been receiving medical care but died despite treatment. His death prompted renewed threats from Syrian clans demanding releases.

Old agreements, new complications

Lebanon and Syria have signed more than 42 agreements, including a 1951 judicial accord on extradition, later expanded in 1996. Legal experts say Syrians convicted of criminal offenses could serve the remainder of their sentences in Syria. The stumbling block remains terrorism convicts.

Damascus has demanded the transfer of regime opponents and former opposition supporters, while Lebanon has resisted handing them over. Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati previously floated the idea of transferring ordinary criminals rather than terrorism convicts. Authorities have identified around 720 Syrian detainees whose cases are less sensitive, but Syria has pressed for the release of high-profile figures such as Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and others linked to attacks on Lebanese troops.

Beirut has refused, unwilling to bear the political and security costs of such a step. The army has suffered some of its worst losses in Arsal and its outskirts, including the 2014 abduction of soldiers by militants, who later broadcast images of captives moments before their executions.

Prisoners’ demands

Amid overcrowding and collapsing prison conditions, a group calling itself “Lebanon’s Prisoners” issued a statement welcoming government promises to tackle the crisis. It cited deaths from illness and suicide, food shortages, and inadequate medical care in jails on the brink of breakdown.

The group demanded sweeping reforms, including:

• Defining the terms of life imprisonment and the death penalty.

• Reducing a legal prison year exceptionally to six months.

• Releasing detainees held for more than a decade without trial, noting that over 70 percent of prisoners await hearings.

• Transferring all Syrian prisoners to Syria.

The statement hailed the willingness of Lebanese and Syrian officials to cooperate, saying a solution would restore justice, reinforce civil peace and stability, and open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Amnesty debate

Former Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar cautioned that Lebanon’s proposed general amnesty law poses thorny political, technical and humanitarian dilemmas. He said it is impossible to distinguish between prisoners based on nationality or crime type, since equality before the law requires identical treatment for Lebanese and Syrian offenders alike.

This complicates efforts to design legislation targeting only Syrians without extending to terrorism convicts or other serious criminals. Najjar argued the most suitable option is for Parliament to ratify the 2010 judicial agreement signed by the Lebanese and Syrian Justice Ministries, allowing prisoners to serve sentences in their home countries.

On humanitarian and political grounds, Lebanon could also reduce sentences as it has in the past, he said. But such a law remains technically difficult, even as the urgency of the prison crisis and the broader political climate push the debate to the forefront.