Kataeb Lawmaker Nadim Gemayel emphasized that the issue of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons concerns all the Lebanese people, deeming this issue purely humanitarian.

“Every region has individuals who are missing, kidnapped, detained, or forcibly disappeared by the Syrian regime. Some Lebanese MPs have refused to sign the proposal to amend a June UN resolution to clarify the fate of the missing persons in Syria. These MPs consider themselves close to the Syrian regime and show loyalty to it, which is why they did not sign the proposal,” Gemayel said in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station.

“Even the government did not vote on the decision to establish an independent institution to search for the missing in Syria. Additionally, Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, abstained from voting at the United Nations,” he added.

“Successive governments have always formed committees to follow up on the issue of prinosers. Today, we see the Foreign Minister imposing self-censorship and abstaining from voting at the United Nations for political reasons or because someone else is making the foreign decisions on his behalf,” Gemayel noted.

“In the same context, we are witnessing what is happening at the United Nations regarding the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate and how the Caretaker Foreign Minister is acting,” he went on saying.

Gemayel emphasized that closing the file of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons is a step towards reconciliation and clearing intentions and memories.

“The Syrian regime has violated areas in Lebanon, engaged in battles, and should bear responsibility for its actions in Lebanon. The solution lies in the establishment of a UN organization whose goal is to search for missing persons in Syria,” he added.

“We have gotten used to the Syrian regime's lies denying the existence of Lebanese detainees. However, we have witnessed many prisoners being released, which is clear evidence that the regime is lying. Additionally, there are many individuals who have been released from prisons and have confirmed the presence of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons,” he affirmed.

“If Syria has nothing to hide, then it should allow the United Nations to investigate,” Gemayel concluded.