Lebanon has extradited a former Syrian general, Maj Gen Adel Issa, to Damascus to face war crimes charges, marking the first extradition of its kind since the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Issa, 67, was detained on August 8 after visiting the Syrian embassy in Beirut to finalize paperwork and was transferred into Syrian custody on Wednesday.
The extradition follows pressure from Syria's current authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, for Lebanon to apprehend former security and military officials who fled the country following Assad's departure. The Syrian interior ministry stated that Issa commanded ground forces in the eastern Deir Ezzor province until 2016. He faces accusations including intentional homicide, facilitating felonies, killing multiple individuals, and committing "torture leading to death and crimes of aggression with the aim of inciting civil war and sectarian fighting."
Judicial officials informed the BBC that Issa denied all charges upon his arrest. The decision to extradite him was based on a bilateral agreement between Lebanon and Syria that dates back to 1951. Issa's case will now be reviewed by a referral judge in Damascus, who will determine if the case should proceed to a criminal court.
This development comes as Syria's new leadership intensifies its pursuit of former regime members. In January, Syrian authorities provided Lebanese officials with a list of over 200 former senior officers they wish to prosecute. Since assuming power, President al-Sharaa's administration has initiated legal proceedings against numerous former officials. Earlier this month, a Damascus court sentenced Bashar al-Assad and his brother, Maher, to death in absentia for abuses committed during the civil war. Their cousins, Waseem al-Assad and Atif Najib, have also been arrested and sentenced to death in Syria.