Lebanon ‘detains’ former al-Assad-era general, weighs handing him to Syria

Judicial and security sources say a routine embassy visit landed a wanted former Syrian general in a Beirut jail cell.Lebanese authorities have arrested a former Syrian army general who once served under ousted President Bashar al-Assad, according to judicial and security officials.Major-General Adel Issa was taken into custody in Beirut on Friday, and officials are weighing whether to send him back to Syria to face accusations tied to his military service, the sources told news agencies on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Cousin of toppled Syrian leader faces at least 10 charges in landmark triallist 2 of 3From Toronto to Damascus: Syrians return home aiming to rebuild countrylist 3 of 3Syrian lawyer takes on ex-Assad official in landmark trialend of listIf he is handed over to Syrian authorities, it would mark the first such transfer since al-Assad’s government collapsed in December 2024, when opposition fighters seized Damascus and sent many former officials fleeing into Lebanon, where some remain to this day.Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the AFP and Associated Press news agencies, said Issa went to the Syrian embassy in Beirut on Friday for some paperwork.Embassy staff realised he was wanted back home and alerted Lebanon’s prosecutor’s office.This prompted investigators from the Central Criminal Investigation Department to detain him and take him to a facility at the Beirut Palace of Justice, the officials added.Under questioning, Issa admitted to entering Lebanon illegally after al-Assad’s fall, though he reportedly denied all wrongdoing.Since Friday falls on the weekend in Syria, Lebanese authorities are expected to wait until Monday for formal charges from Damascus before deciding how to proceed, officials said.Lebanon’s public prosecutor has asked his Syrian counterpart to send the suspect’s extradition file before Beirut decides whether to hand him over, a judicial official told AFP.