Syria Demands Lebanon to Hand over Armed Men, Describing them as ‘Outlaws’
Syrian authorities demanded Lebanon officially on Friday to hand over the armed Syrian nationals that sought refuge in the eastern Bekaa area over the weekend, As Safir newspaper reported.
The Syrian Justice Ministry sent an official request to the Lebanese authorities demanding them to “hand over the armed groups that were detained in Lebanon,” informed sources told the daily.
They noted that the memorandum was sent to General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, who in turn sent a copy to Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi.
On Sunday, media reports said the Lebanese army detained 35 armed Syrians, who allegedly belong to the Free Syrian Army, and had crossed to the Bekaa region with refugees escaping the crackdown of the Assad regime on protestors.
According to the bilateral judicial agreement signed between the two countries in 1951, which was amended in 1991, and in addition to the defense agreement inked in 1991, the Lebanese authorities are obliged to hand over to Syria the detainees.
“The armed men, according to the Syrian authorities, are outlaws,” sources noted.
Media reports said on Tuesday that the army released 28 out of the 35 armed Syrians, after investigations revealed that they haven’t used their arms in Lebanese territories or Syria, while the other 7 were referred to the competent judiciary for using their weapons inside Lebanon and allegedly injuring a Lebanese soldier.
However, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Thursday that the army released the 7 armed men, who were classified among the refugees entering into Lebanon from Syria’s Homs province.
“The armed men who were detained by the army were referred to the competent judiciary in order to take the necessary measures against them,” a member who participated in Thursday’s Higher Defense Council meeting told As Safir.
President Michel Suleiman headed an “extraordinary” meeting for the HDC at the Baabda Palace amid warnings by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly against handing over to Syrian authorities the refugees or dissidents, including members of the FSA, who crossed into Lebanon fleeing the turmoil in their country.
“A number of the refugees returned to their country,” a source told the daily.
The source noted that the measures along the Lebanese-Syrian border were boosted as the security forces are tightening their grip according to the requirements.
An Nahar reported that the decisions taken by the council remained confidential although the daily said that the gatherers stressed the importance of controlling the arms smuggling along the border.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told al-Joumhouria newspaper that security is under control along the Lebanese-Syrian border to halt the infiltration of armed men and smugglers in the two directions.
The Higher Defense Council expressed in a statement “relief” over the security situation in the country.
According to An Nahar, the Lebanese and Syrian army boosted their measures along the border amid conflicting reports on the developments.
Source: Naharnet
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