Lebanon plans to transfer more than 300 Syrian prisoners to Syria under a bilateral agreement between the two countries, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said on Friday.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, Mitri said ministers approved a deal that allows convicted Syrian inmates to complete the remainder of their sentences in their home country.
The agreement applies to prisoners who have spent more than 10 years in Lebanese jails, which Mitri said is equivalent to about seven years of effective imprisonment. He did not provide further details on how or when the transfers would take place.
The Cabinet session was chaired by President Joseph Aoun and attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Damascus said on 10 October 2025 that it had reached an earlier agreement with Beirut to receive Syrian detainees who were not convicted of murder, following a visit to Lebanon by a delegation led by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Lebanese officials estimate that around 2,500 Syrians are currently held in Lebanese prisons, accounting for roughly one-third of the country’s total prison population.
The move comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours following the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, including Mitri’s official visit to Syria in November 2025 for talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other senior officials.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further militar...
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or a...
Pakistan has declared hepatitis C a national emergency and launched a nationwide campaign to screen more than 164 million people, as it steps up effor...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
Pakistan has declared hepatitis C a national emergency and launched a nationwide campaign to screen more than 164 million people, as it steps up efforts to eliminate one of the world's largest hepatitis C burdens by 2030.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan are delaying or avoiding medical treatment because they fear arrest under the country's deportation policy, leading to preventable illnesses including child malnutrition and pregnancy complications, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Kyrgyzstan is in talks with Russia over monthly supplies of 100,000 tonnes of petroleum products as Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries continue to disrupt fuel exports, forcing the Central Asian country to seek alternative sources.
Türkiye and Iraq have signed five agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in transport, infrastructure, education, youth, sports and industrial development. The deals were announced after talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment