The Lebanese Kataeb Party has rejected recent claims by Al-Akhbar regarding the transfer of Syrian detainees to their home country, calling the newspaper’s article part of a long-standing pattern of distortion and false accusations.

Earlier this month, 132 Syrian inmates were handed over at the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing near Damascus. They will serve the remainder of their sentences in Syria under a deal signed last month between the two countries, expected to cover roughly 350 prisoners in total.

In a statement issued by the Kataeb media department, the party stressed that the transfer was conducted strictly in accordance with an agreement unanimously approved by the Lebanese Cabinet. The deal stipulates that all convicted Syrians are to be returned to Syria without exception, while those convicted of murder or terrorism must have served at least ten years of their sentence in Lebanese prisons; a requirement confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri.

The party strongly rejected suggestions that it had influenced the decision, labeling such claims “malicious” and intended to sow discord between the army and the Kataeb, which it described as a key supporter of the Lebanese Armed Forces. It also accused the newspaper and its authors of a history of attacks on the army, including promoting narratives of internal divisions to undermine its cohesion.

The statement also addressed the irritation expressed by Hezbollah and its affiliated media over the phone call between Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, which aimed to open a new chapter following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the militant group's subsequent expulsion from the country. The Kataeb Party said such campaigns would only strengthen its resolve to maintain an equitable relationship with Syria, grounded in mutual respect for sovereignty.

“Those who have paid a heavy price resisting Syrian dominance will not accept any new form of control, regardless of the challenges,” the statement concluded.