The Association of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon condemned the exertion of pressure by Lebanese parties aligned the with Assad regime on the Syrian refugees in Lebanon to force them to return to Syria in risky conditions. It cited the Assad regime’s continued war crimes against civilians.
The Association condemned the handing over of Syrian dissidents and military defectors to the Assad regime, stressing that it was contrary to divine laws, international norms and conventions, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Association warned that the handing over of Syrian refugees to the Assad regime contravenes human ethics and good neighbor policy. It added that such act will incur legal accountability on Lebanon before the international community and could deprive it of access to international aid.
The statement came in response to recent reports about the Lebanese authorities’ handing over of Syrian refugees to the Assad regime. The Lebanese Supreme Defense Council took a decision to deport Syrians who illegally entered Lebanon after June 4th. However, dissidents and defectors from the Assad regime who entered Lebanon many years before this date have been recently handed over to the Assad regime.
The Association slammed the escalating measures against the Syrian refuges, including the handing over of refugees to be executed, the demolition of their tents, random raids on their places of residence, starvation, humiliation, detention under false pretexts, imposition of fines, restricting their means of livelihood, and hatred and racist campaigns by some Lebanese officials. It warned that “such acts risk taking the country to internal strife which no one wants.”
Moreover, the Association stressed that the handing over of Syrian refugees to Assad will put them at the risk of torture and execution. It said that such act is tantamount to complicity in the crime by all who exploited the decision of the Supreme Defense Council and by those who knew of the decision but did not act to stop this crime against humanity.
“Those who remain silent about the handover are not different than those who handed the refugees over to Assad to torture and execute them. It called on the international and local humanitarian and legal organizations to shoulder their responsibilities and take urgent action to put an end to this heinous crime.
The Syrian Coalition earlier said that everyone involved in forcing the Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return to Syria will take responsibility before international courts. It stressed that it will go to those courts in accordance with international norms and conventions that protect the rights of refugees. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
