The coordinator of the Office of Refugee Affairs in the Syrian Opposition Coalition, Salim Idris, strongly emphasized the ongoing violations of international law committed by the Lebanese authorities regarding the forcible deportations of Syrian refugees. Despite numerous appeals from human rights organizations urging Lebanon to cease these deportations, the authorities persist in violating the principle of “non-refoulement.” This principle is designed to prevent the forced return of individuals to a country where they may face persecution.
Idris asserted that handing over Syrian dissidents, who are currently held in Lebanese prisons, to the Assad regime would effectively subject them to the regime’s detention centers and, ultimately, to its slaughterhouses. He further questioned the fate of those who oppose the regime and are detained in Lebanon solely due to their political stances.
Tariq Shandab, a Lebanese lawyer and human rights advocate, revealed the intentions of the Lebanese authorities to hand over individuals opposing Assad, who have been held in Lebanese prisons for years due to their political positions.
Shandab reported receiving messages and appeals from local and international associations and legal institutions, urging intervention to halt the deportation of eight Syrian prisoners to Syria. Among them are four army defectors and civil dissidents named Muhammad Hammoud, Saleh Al-Samar, Muhammad Al-Jamal, and Alaeddin Yassin.
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) has previously condemned the repeated incidents of arbitrary arrest and deportation of Syrian refugees by the Lebanese government. These actions not only disregard the internationally recognized rights of refugees but also display a complete indifference to the imminent dangers they face upon their return to areas controlled by the Assad regime.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
