Report: 14 Deported Syrians Released, One Returned to Lebanon

The 14 Syrians, who were deported by the Lebanese authorities, were released on Saturday amid reports saying that one of them returned back to Lebanon.

Al-Jadeed television station said that the Syrian authorities released the 14 men.

It noted that one of the deported men, Tariq al-Hamwi, managed to return back to Lebanon.

On Wednesday, the General Security deported 14 Syrians and said the reasons for the expulsions were not political but a Human Rights Watch representative in Beirut said some of the deportees had expressed fears of persecution on their return.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel demanded General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim to halt the implementation of all the judiciary verdicts against Syrians in Lebanon in an attempt to end the disputes that emerged over the issue.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat accused on Thursday Ibrahim of utterly following the Syrian regime’s orders by deporting the 14 Syrians, calling the cabinet to “sack him if necessary to halt this ongoing charade.”

Sources told the Central News Agency that Charbel informed the concerned officials that he is determined to “take a series of extraordinary measures to ensure that Lebanon is disassociating itself” from the turmoil in Syria.

The sources said that the minister intends to issue a form that any Syrian who intends to go back to his country would sign, in an attempt to confirm that they returned on their free will.