Lebanon has handed over former Syrian Major General Adel Issa to authorities in Damascus, where he faces charges including premeditated murder and torture resulting in death, Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Issa, a senior military officer under ousted President Bashar al-Assad, was detained in Lebanon under a warrant issued by the Lebanese public prosecutor following an extradition request from Syrian authorities.
A Syrian investigative judge had also issued an arrest warrant for Issa in absentia.
According to the Interior Ministry, he is accused of premeditated murder, intentionally killing more than two people, facilitating a felony and torture resulting in death.
Issa also faces accusations of acts aimed at inciting civil war and sectarian strife.
Issa previously commanded the Syrian army’s 17th Division and later served as ground forces commander in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor until 2016.
Deir ez-Zor was a major battleground during Syria’s civil war, with government forces, opposition groups and later the Islamic State competing for control of territory in the province.
The 17th Division was among the Syrian military formations operating in the region during the conflict.
Issa’s case has now been placed before a referral judge in Damascus, who will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send him to the Damascus Criminal Court for trial.
The extradition comes as Syria’s post-Assad authorities step up efforts to prosecute former military, security and government officials accused of abuses during decades of Assad family rule and the civil war that began in 2011.
Assad’s government collapsed in December 2024 after opposition forces launched a rapid offensive and captured Damascus, ending more than five decades of rule by the Assad family. The former president subsequently fled to Russia.
Syrian authorities have since detained or sought the extradition of former regime figures as part of what they describe as a transitional justice process aimed at holding those responsible for killings, torture and other abuses accountable.
Issa’s transfer from Lebanon is among the cases involving former senior Syrian officials pursued across the border since Assad’s fall.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of a deadly drone strike on a Türkiye-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea, killing it...
Regional powers gathered in Moscow on Monday for talks on Afghanistan, focusing on security, economic cooperation and Kabul’s relations with ...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts t...
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of a deadly drone strike on a Türkiye-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea, killing its captain and endangering a civilian crew that included Azerbaijani and Indian nationals.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 5 October 2026. These are the top five elections making headlines around the world.
The United States has withdrawn all 12 of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Britain, just a week after several people were arrested over an alleged plot targeting the air base.
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called a snap election for 29 November in a bid to strengthen his mandate after a fragmented parliament rejected the government's key housing decrees last week amid widespread protests.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment