Lebanon: Arrest of former Syrian brigadier general accused of crimes against humanity

Lebanese authorities arrested former commander of the Syrian Army’s 17th Brigade, Major General Adel Issa, upon his arrival at the Syrian Embassy in Beirut to complete an administrative procedure, following serious allegations against him related to murder, torture, and crimes against humanity committed during the years of the Syrian revolution.

A senior Lebanese judicial source stated that the Distinguished Prosecutor General, Judge Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj, ordered Issa’s detention pending investigation. A patrol from the Central Criminal Investigation Department was dispatched to the Syrian Embassy, where they took Issa into custody and transferred him to the offices of the Court of Justice in Beirut, where questioning began regarding his legal status and the charges against him.

The judicial source noted that during his initial interrogation, Issa admitted he had left Syria illegally several months ago after learning that security agencies were investigating him, and that he had entered Lebanese territory and resided there in recent months.

During his initial questioning, Issa denied “committing any crime in Syria while serving in his military duties,” stating that he “did not participate in the killing of Syrians or commit crimes against them.” However, he acknowledged that he “supported the intelligence agency in carrying out a number of security tasks assigned to him,” without considering this involvement in any criminal acts.

This marks the first time Lebanon has arrested a former Syrian officer among dozens of military and security personnel accused of committing crimes under the previous regime.