On Wednesday Almustaqbal newspaper published a list of all Lebanese detainees in Syria (More details). I am republishing it here for online reference’s sake. 
On Wednesday Almustaqbal newspaper published a list of all Lebanese detainees in Syria (More details). I am republishing it here for online reference’s sake.
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I've been blogging about Lebanese society, business and politics since February 2005.
I watched “Khallik Bilbeit” program presented by Zahi Wehbe last night on Future TV interviewing Samir Kuntar The freed prisoner from Israeli jail looked very healthy,well spoken and slightly overweight, thanks to Israeli health care, provided university education and books and 3 meals a day, in addition to outside contacts with the family and media. not once, the subject of Lebanese prisoners in Syria was brought up and the difference in humanitarian treatment between Israeli and Syrian jails. I hate to say it, but, the majority of Lebanese are hypocrites, when they see with one eye and close the other. I am sure Mr. Wehbe would never invite a freed Lebanese prisoner from Syria because he would be either half dead or dying. I have lost faith in Lebanon after what I saw that 14 March coallition were enthusiastically sharing in welcoming Samir Kuntar and the Lebanese army beating up the relatives of the Lebanese prisoners in Syria during Syrian FM Muallem visit. Frankly, I am very disgusted with 14 March, and now I have lost faith in Lebanon altogether.
Mustapha, that’s a great list.
However, the list only shows the REPORTED prisoners, and thus underestimates the real number of prisoners, which statistically I estimate to be much more than 1,000.
Do you have info about their hometowns and the date/place when they where kidnapped? I think I can use that additional data to develop a good estimate of the full number of those prisoners.
The method I would be using is simple and proven; it was used during WW2 by the British to estimate the number of German tanks, with greater accuracy that Speer’s ministry!
secondary note: the definition of “penal crimes” in Syria is far more extensive than that in Lebanon. So many political prisoners are likely to be labeled as common criminals.
A further point to what Jeha mentioned in his last comment, Syria probably considers all Lebanese held in its prisons to be criminals held under penal law. That is its justification for their repeated statements (often repeated by Michel Aoun, Franjieh and ex President Lahoud) that there are no political prisoners in Syria. Expect a face saving measure to be a broad amnesty bestowed by President Assad on all Lebanese held in Syrian jails at some point. I hope so at least.
Nice! This post will be a reference from now on!
This is probably the documented list, there are many more that are probably not on the list and whose fate may never be known.
This is probably the documented list, there are probably many more that are not on the list and whose fate may never be known.
Did you hear about that?
“Syrian forces detain Lebanese soldier – report”
http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=94519
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I agree with jeha,the list is short .my brother has been detained in syria for 23 years.we don’t know any thing about him. but what i know for sure that there are alot more detaninees in syria than they really say . you can check this list on AL-KAETEB website.
http://www.kataeb.org/bannerDetails.asp?newsid=42&resize=1