The issue of the Lebanese detainees in Syria resurfaced unexpectedly, on Thursday, when Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced the release of the Hama prison inmates, including some Lebanese.
This revelation prompted widespread sharing of a list of names of individuals arrested during Lebanon’s war (1975–1990) on WhatsApp and social media.
Among the detainees, Ali Hassan Ali, a 65-year-old from Tashaa, Akkar, who disappeared 40 years ago during the Tabbaneh events in Tripoli, was identified as one of those released. His identity was confirmed by his brother and former detainees.
Lebanese media reported on Friday that 622 Lebanese detainees remain in Syrian prisons, some held for 35 to 40 years. This includes Boutros Khawand, a Kataeb Political Bureau member, kidnapped in September 1992 by armed men outside his home in Horch Tabet. Families, still clinging to hope, demand answers.
The Committee of Families of the Kidnapped and Missing in Lebanon called on the Lebanese government to urgently verify the identities of Lebanese released prisoners, if any, work to secure their return, and uncover the fate of those still missing. A press conference is planned on Saturday, at 11 AM, at Gibran Khalil Gibran Garden in Beirut to address this issue.
Meanwhile, Kataeb leader MP Samy Gemayel urged the Lebanese government to prioritize uncovering the fate of detainees, particularly Boutros Khawand, and act swiftly to repatriate those freed.
“The Lebanese authorities are required to shed light on the fate of its citizens. They should not abandon them to the unknown after years of neglect and submission to the criminal Syrian regime. It is time to close this file out of respect for them and for their families, who have endured their pain for decades,” he said.
For its part, Nidaa Al Watan have reported that the Lebanese forces party has made indirect contacts through a mediator with armed factions in Syria, requesting their assistance in identifying Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, including members of the party, particularly Boutros Khawand.
Efforts for identification and release
Ali Abou Dehen, Secretary of the Committee for Lebanese Detainees in Syrian Prisons, told AL-Quds Al-Araby that he had “contacted Syrian revolutionaries in Turkey and France who are connected to opposition factions to gather information about the identities of any Lebanese individuals released from the central prison, if present.” However, he clarified that “most Lebanese detainees are held in Sednaya and Adra prisons.”
He also told Al-Markazya that he is closely monitoring the Syrian opposition's actions. He noted that they have not only released Lebanese detainees but also freed political prisoners in Hama, describing this as an important step that offers hope”.
“There is another image of a Lebanese detainee who was with Ali, but his identity has not yet been confirmed. This is a major problem. I have shared his photo on social media, but so far, no one has been able to identify him,” Abou Dehen said, adding “Ali Hassan Ali’s identity was confirmed by his brother, who recognized his resemblance to him and their uncle. This is a promising sign."
The Lebanese authorities did not comment on the issue.
Former President Michel Aoun, during a 2008 visit to Damascus, denied the presence of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, claiming they were “missing.” His statements, coupled with years of inaction, have drawn sharp criticism overnight, with some labeling him a “traitor.”
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