The Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) Refugees and Displaced Persons Working Group held a workshop on Tuesday titled “Syrians in Lebanon: Challenges and Opportunities,” featuring prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Sablouh from Lebanon.
The meeting was attended by SOC’s Vice President, Dima Moussa, several political committee members, Lebanese lawyer Nabil al-Halabi, researchers, media professionals, lawyers, and human rights workers.
Al-Halabi, who participated via video link, spoke about the deteriorating conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. He emphasized that political crises, conflicts among political parties, and Iran’s growing influence in Lebanon exacerbate the suffering of Syrian refugees.
Al-Halabi stated that Syrians currently detained in Lebanon are prisoners of conscience unrelated to terrorism, calling the charges against them fabricated. He highlighted that detainees linked to ISIS were transferred to Deir Ezzor in 2017 through a deal between ISIS and Hezbollah.
He pointed out that human rights organizations in Lebanon have reported violations in Roumieh prison to the United Nations, detailing illegal methods used to extract confessions from Syrian detainees. He stressed the importance of forming an international committee to review the cases of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon.
Ahmad Baccora, Coordinator of the Refugees and Displaced Persons Working Group, described the harsh conditions faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including kidnapping, arrest, and forced deportation. He noted the group’s collaboration with numerous human rights institutions in Lebanon and their efforts to keep Syrian refugees out of political disputes.
Baccora emphasized that Syrians in neighboring countries are not treated as refugees and do not receive their legal rights under international norms and laws. He lamented the lack of serious response from the United Nations and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to these violations.
He mentioned five international agreements signed by neighboring countries to protect Syrian refugees’ rights, urging the use of these agreements to ensure their rights are upheld.
Sablouh provided an overview of the situation for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, highlighting the severe racist campaign against them. He noted that the Lebanese government had used the refugee issue to secure international humanitarian aid funds and that local political parties continued this campaign.
Sablouh discussed the widespread security crackdown on Syrian refugees, with the Lebanese army conducting random deportations. He cited the case of a 16-year-old Syrian child deported after forcing him to state that his parents were in Syria when they lived in Tripoli.
He stressed the need to confront these violations by adhering to binding international agreements, including the Convention against Torture, which Lebanon has signed. He also emphasized leveraging both Lebanese and European judiciaries.
Participants reviewed efforts to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon and made several recommendations to improve their conditions. They stressed prioritizing the refugee issue in political discussions and supporting human rights organizations and legal activists defending Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The participants urged the international community, especially donor countries funding the Lebanese government, army, and security forces, to pressure these agencies to stop violations against Syrian refugees. They called for support of the SOC’s initiative to protect Syrian refugees in border areas until Hezbollah is removed, ensuring their safe and voluntary return.
Legally, the participants emphasized documenting all violations and abuses to prepare for accountability and deter those responsible. They advocated using both domestic and international judiciaries to file lawsuits against those responsible for violations and forced returns.
Participants highlighted the importance of legal networking between human rights issues in Syria and Lebanon, noting that the plight of Syrian detainees in Lebanon is part of the broader Syrian crisis. They called for integrating this issue into international investigation mechanisms for Syria, based on criminal partnership and extension.
They urged the Lebanese government to allow international organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Crescent, the Committee against Torture, and the Human Rights Commission full access to all official and temporary detention centers.
In conclusion, SOC’s Vice President Moussa and Coordinator Baccora honored Mr. Sablouh in recognition of his continuous efforts in supporting the rights of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
