Justice Minister Adel Nassar surprised both Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and a visiting Syrian delegation by requesting that the new Syrian authorities provide Beirut with all available files and information on all political assassinations witnessed in Lebanon, as well as details on Lebanese citizens missing in Syria, such as Boutros Khawand.

The Syrian delegation initially reacted with surprise and visible confusion, Annahar newspaper revealed. Nassar clarified that his request did not aim to undermine the ongoing judicial cooperation agreement, through which Syria seeks the return of detainees held in Lebanese prisons, particularly those arrested for supporting or affiliating with the revolution against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“Regardless of my personal experience as a Lebanese who suffered under the Assad regime, my responsibility as Justice Minister is to ensure that our courts can pursue justice for victims and uncover the truth for all Lebanese,” Nassar told the delegation.

The Syrian side acknowledged the difficulty of retrieving documents, noting that many files were destroyed before the collapse of the previous regime. However, they confirmed that copies of certain files may exist in other locations, and additional information could be obtained from living witnesses and former detainees of the previous government. Authorities could also trace perpetrators who fled to Syria after their crimes were exposed.

Both sides agreed to explore a mechanism enabling effective communication and cooperation to facilitate the sharing of relevant information, the report noted.

Nassar’s approach mirrors historical precedents in which judicial systems accessed previously unavailable evidence to resolve unresolved cases. For example, after the fall of East Germany, West German courts gained access to preserved intelligence files, allowing them to pursue justice for decades-old crimes that had previously gone unpunished.