The Syrian Future Movement is following with grave concern the legal and humanitarian situation of Syrian citizens detained in Lebanese prisons, particularly in Roumieh Central Prison.
In its ongoing monitoring of this issue, the Syrian Future Movement has noted the commencement of an open-ended and comprehensive hunger strike by a group of Syrian and Lebanese detainees, beginning on January 26, 2026. This strike is in protest against the continued inhumane conditions, deliberate medical neglect, severe overcrowding, and chronic delays in legal proceedings.
This escalation comes as a desperate response to what has been described as a “policy of slow death,” and reflects potential violations of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), the right to life and human dignity, and the right to a fair and speedy trial under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Syrian Future Movement bases its position on the following documented facts:
- The deaths of Syrian detainees Mahmoud al-Hakim and Hamza Balbisi on December 27, 2025, due to complications from illnesses resulting from the lack of proper medical care and the spread of tuberculosis within the prison.
- Documented reports indicate that at least 44 inmates died during 2025 due to tuberculosis and medical negligence, with more than 130 others suffering from skin and infectious diseases. This reflects a catastrophic health crisis resulting from severe overcrowding and shortages of medicine and basic care.
- The circulation of videos from inside Building B of Roumieh Prison (including the participation of figures such as Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir in some announcements) confirms the declaration of a general strike in protest against injustice and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
At the same time, the Syrian Future Movement welcomes the significant progress in the judicial negotiations between the Lebanese Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic regarding the agreement for the transfer of Syrian convicts (those against whom final and binding sentences have been issued) to Syrian territory. Official judicial sources reported in January 2026 that the Lebanese delegations had finalized the draft agreement, resolving most of the legal and technical gaps. This included a new clause allowing Syrian authorities to grant special pardons to convicts who had served more than seven years of their sentences, with an initial focus on those already convicted (the cases of those held in pretrial detention – numbering approximately 1,650 – would be addressed in later stages).
However, the Syrian Future Movement asserts that this progress, while positive, does not cover all cases. A significant number of detainees remain without final verdicts or are awaiting legal proceedings that have been delayed for years, potentially violating the principle of non-arbitrary detention (Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights).
Therefore, the Syrian Future Movement demands the following from the relevant authorities:
- The immediate and unconditional release of all Syrian detainees against whom there is insufficient evidence, or whose pretrial detention has exceeded the legal limits stipulated in the Lebanese Code of Criminal Procedure.
- Expedite the conclusion and implementation of the prisoner transfer agreement, with legally binding guarantees against political persecution, torture, or inhumane treatment after transfer, in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and relevant UN conventions, and gradually extend its scope to include detainees.
- Take immediate and concrete measures to improve health and humanitarian conditions in prisons, including providing urgent medical care, combating the spread of infectious diseases, alleviating overcrowding, and preventing any collective punishment against hunger strikers.
- Immediately call upon the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, and other independent human rights organizations to conduct urgent and continuous field visits to the prisons concerned, with the publication of transparent public reports.
- Form a joint Lebanese-Syrian-international committee to review the files of Syrian detainees and convicts, ensuring the application of the principles of transitional justice, rehabilitation, and the protection of fundamental rights, with independent monitoring mechanisms for implementation.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its full solidarity with Syrian detainees and considers their case a just and human rights issue requiring a swift and comprehensive legal solution. He calls on the Lebanese and Syrian authorities, and the international community, to take immediate action to end this humanitarian crisis before it worsens.
