Haytham Rahmeh, the Secretary-General of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), has lauded the courage of the Lebanese people for standing in solidarity with Syrian refugees in Lebanon and rejecting their forced deportation to areas controlled by the Assad regime. He emphasized the deep-rooted relationship between the two peoples, which is based on brotherhood and friendship.
Rahmeh highly commended the stance taken by personalities, scholars, political parties, and social forces who reject any mistreatment of Syrian refugees and advocate for the protection of their legitimate rights. He praised the Association of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon, leaders Samir Geagea and Walid Jumblatt, and other political and social figures who stood with the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Furthermore, Rahmeh underscored that the escalating violations against Syrian refugees by the authorities and the army are in direct contradiction to international norms and laws that mandate non-refoulement and the provision of protection and care for refugees. He called for an immediate halt to these violations, as forced deportation poses a grave threat to the deportees who will be at risk of arrest, torture, and criminalization by the Assad regime.
