Lebanon Signs Deal to Transfer 300 Syrian Prisoners to Assad Regime

Lebanon and Syria signed a formal agreement allowing roughly 300 Syrian inmates held in Lebanese prisons to be repatriated to Syria to complete their sentences, a move officials described as part of a broader effort to reset ties and ease crowded jails.

“Lebanon and Syria have signed an agreement to transfer over 300 Syrian detainees from Lebanese prisons to continue their sentences in Syria BEIRUT --BEIRUT (AP) —Lebanonand Syria signed an agreement Friday to transfer more than 300 Syrians from Lebanese prisons to continue serving their sentences in their home country, a step that will likely help improve strained relations between the two neighbors”

ABC News

Lebanese and Syrian justice ministers announced the deal at a joint press conference and said implementation would begin immediately or within days, with transfers to be phased and completed within a short timeframe under the pact.

ABC News

Officials framed the move as both a legal-technical step and a diplomatic gesture after years of fraught relations between the two countries.

The agreement imposes eligibility conditions and requires written consent from prisoners.

Most sources say transfers apply only to convicted inmates who meet service thresholds.

Al-Jazeera Net

Several outlets specify a 10-year service benchmark, while ABC News uniquely reports some convicted prisoners may be returned after serving at least seven and a half years.

The pact also allows phased transfers and, according to Arab News PK, requires completion within three months after initiation.

A substantial portion of Syrian detainees in Lebanon remains outside the agreement, as outlets report the majority are pre-trial or otherwise ineligible, creating a large backlog of cases that officials say will require separate arrangements.

“Lebanon and Syria agreed Friday to transfer more than 300 Syrian prisoners from Lebanese jails to Damascus, a move intended to address long-standing cases of Syrians detained in Lebanon, especially those arrested during the Syrian conflict”

Anadolu Ajansı

thenationalnews reports that about 70% of Syrian detainees are awaiting trial and therefore excluded, while Arab News PK and ABC News underline that thousands more Syrians remain in Lebanese custody beyond the initial 300 transfers.

Officials and outlets situate the transfer within political and diplomatic contexts, with Lebanese officials describing the pact as an expression of renewed cooperation and several reports linking it to wider talks on abolishing the Lebanese‑Syrian Higher Council, reviewing agreements from years of Syrian presence in Lebanon, and border demarcation.

Some sources additionally note unresolved grievances, including Lebanese abducted in Syria, that the deal does not settle.

Arab News PK

Human-rights and legal concerns appear in reporting.

“Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut Beirut, Feb 7:Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement on Friday to transfer around 300 convicts from Lebanese prisons to Damascus, a move seen as a significant step toward strengthening bilateral ties”

Daijiworld

Several outlets note that many Syrians in Lebanese jails were accused of offenses ranging from membership in armed groups to terrorism.

Daijiworld

Enab Baladi and some officials said a number of detainees were held on questionable, allegedly fabricated charges.

Coverage also flags overcrowding, slow courts and the excluded pre-trial population as ongoing challenges that the agreement only partially addresses.