Keyrouz Seeking to Debrief Govt. over Abduction of Syrians in Lebanon

Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz requested in a memo to Speaker Nabih Berri that his inquiry to the government over the abduction of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon be changed into a debriefing.

He said that this request stems from the abduction of the Syrians, who are then handed over to Syrian authorities “in a violation of humanitarian laws.”

He accused the government of turning a blind eye to these developments.

The memo said that the MP is seeking the response of the foreign, interior, defense, and justice ministers to his debriefing.

The ministers will be granted 15 days to submit their replies.

In addition, the MP called on Berri to place the debriefing as the first article on the agenda of parliament’s next session that is dedicated to interrogations.

A number of Syrians opposed to their country’s regime have been abducted in Lebanon in recent months.

Jassem al-Jassem, who was killed in Syrian captivity, was abducted in Beirut in February after being accused of distributing flyers encouraging anti-regime protests in Syria.

He and his three brothers were kidnapped in Lebanon a few months ago shortly after being released from the Justice Palace in Baabda.

Investigations by Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces revealed that vehicles from the Syrian Embassy in Beirut had been employed in their kidnapping.

Shebli al-Aysami, co-founder of Syria's ruling Baath party, is another Syrian who was abducted in Lebanon.

He fled his native Syria in 1966 over political differences with the group. He was last seen in the eastern Lebanese region of Aley.