Hadi Al-Bahra, President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to urgently provide international protection for Syrian refugees who fled from Lebanon to areas under Assad regime control, where they are subjected to arbitrary detention. He stressed the importance of not leaving them with two life-threatening choices.
Al-Bahra stated, “We are highlighting to the United Nations, including its Secretary-General, the Security Council, and organizations concerned with refugee affairs, the critical and urgent situation faced by Syrian refugees who fled Lebanon due to the war.” He pointed out that, according to reports from the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the Assad regime arrested nine returnees in September alone.
The Assad regime detained at least 128 individuals in September, including four children and 16 women, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. Al-Bahra emphasized that Syria is not safe as long as the Assad regime remains in power and a fair political solution is absent. He called on the international community to prioritize the plight of detainees in international meetings and to apply firm pressure for their release, rejecting any exploitation by the regime.
Al-Bahra also criticized the policies of the Lebanese government, local municipalities, and unprecedented, unjustified administrative orders, highlighting the severe discrimination faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon. He described this as a stain on humanity and a crime against humanity.
He further pointed out that all humanitarian organizations, as well as local, Syrian, and international NGOs in Lebanon, are prohibited from providing shelter, food aid, or any form of medical or emergency care to Syrian refugees.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
