The Lebanese prisoners detained in Syria or the Missing Lebanese in Syria are hundreds or even thousands (estimated at 622) of Lebanese citizens who were detained or disappeared during the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon. The religious diversity of the ...

(1975–1990) and after, in the time of the

Syrian occupation of Lebanon The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted from 31 May 1976, beginning with the Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War, until 30 April 2005. This period saw significant Syrian military and political influence over Lebanon, impacting its g ...

, which lasted until 2005. These detentions included individuals from various political parties, activists, and journalists. Even after the war, the plight of detainees in

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

prisons has persisted as a topic of discussion and contention in Lebanon, with families demanding to know their fate and calling for their release. Despite years of denial by the

regime of the presence of Lebanese detainees in its prisons, many were released on various occasions. On December 5, 2024, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham announced the release of approximately 100 Lebanese prisoners from the Hama prison following clashes in Aleppo, giving renewed hope to families of detainees.

Historical context

During the

, Syrian forces entered Lebanon as part of the

Arab Deterrent Force The Arab Deterrent Force (ADF; ) was an international peacekeeping force created by the Arab League in the 1976 Arab League summit (Riyadh), extraordinary Riyadh Summit on 17–18 October 1976, attended only by heads of state from Egypt, Kuwait, ...

s and intervened in Lebanese affairs. Many individuals were arrested and transported to Syrian prisons under various accusations, such as collaboration with Israel, opposition to the Syrian regime, or affiliation with specific political parties. Following the war, arrests continued, particularly targeting political dissidents. Many of these detainees were sent to notorious Syrian prisons like Tadmor,

Sednaya Saidnaya (), also transliterated as Saydnaya, Seidnaya or Sednaya, is a city located in the mountains, above sea level, north of the city of Damascus in Syria. It is the home of a Greek Orthodox monastery traditionally held to have been founde ...

Mezzeh Mezzeh (, also transcribed as al-Mazzah, el-Mazze, etc.) is a municipality in Damascus, Syria, due west of Kafr Sousa. It lies to the southwest of central Damascus, along the Mazzeh highway (also known as Fayez Mansour). It started gaining imp ...

, Damascus, Aleppo, Adra, Hama, Suwayda, Homs, and

Far' Falastin Far' Falastine (), also known as Branch 235, was a prison operated by Military Intelligence Directorate (Syria), Military Intelligence Directorate of Ba'athist Syria under the charge of Brig. Gen. Kamal Hassan between 2017 and 2020, located in Dam ...

. * 1998: Syria released 121 Lebanese detainees. * 2000: Syria released 54 Lebanese detainees, claiming they were the last remaining political prisoners. * 2009: A political association called the "''Association of Lebanese Political Prisoners in Syrian Prisons''" led by Ali Abou Dehn, was founded in Beirut to assist detainees. * December 5, 2024: Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham announced the release of approximately 100 Lebanese prisoners from Hama prison following clashes in Aleppo, giving renewed hope to families of detainees who believed their loved ones might still be alive.

Number of detainees

Determining the exact number of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons is challenging, with estimates varying widely. However, families, associations, and human rights organizations estimate that 622 individuals were forcibly disappeared. The Syrian authorities deny the presence of any Lebanese detainees in their prisons, but these claims are met with skepticism by families and rights groups.

Efforts to address the issue

Local efforts

* Organizations like ''SOLIDE'' were established under Ghazi Aad's leadership to represent families and demand accountability for their missing relatives. * Protests and demonstrations are regularly held in front of embassies and Lebanese governmental institutions.

Government efforts

* The issue has been raised sporadically in Lebanese-Syrian negotiations, but no definitive results have been achieved. * A lack of strong governmental pressure has allowed delays in resolving the matter.

International efforts

* Organizations like

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

and

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

have highlighted the issue and called on both Lebanese and Syrian governments to investigate enforced disappearances.

Challenges

* Political tensions between Lebanon and Syria. * A lack of documented evidence due to the secretive nature of these detentions. * Regional and international neglect of the issue.

NGOs

* ''Support of the Lebanese in Detention and Exile (SOLIDE)'' - (دعم المعتقلين والمنفيين اللبنانيين (سوليد, under the leadership of the late Ghazi Aad * ''Committee of the Families of Kidnapped and Disappeared in Lebanon (CFKDL):'' founded in 1982 * ''Act for the Disappeared'' (ACT) is a Lebanese human rights organization, created in 2010 to help with the fate of the disappeared and missing in LebanonAct for the Disappeared: About Us
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Bibliography

from Hell''
by Ali Abou Dehn, recounting his experience in Syrian prisons.

References

{{Reflist Lebanese people Society of Syria