The Lebanese government and security are committing a new crime against the Syrian refugees in Lebanon

ARK News: Lebanese security forces raided the Arsal area on Thursday and arrested some 750 Syrians, including women, children and entire families, as they had already signed a settlement with the regime and pledged to return to Syria. We have already written and published how the Lebanese security frauds on Syrian refugees or forcing them to sign papers and then show that they promised to return.

The security handed them over to the Syrian authorities at dawn on Thursday, as well as some 250 Syrians were arrested and held in public security.

The Lebanese security claims that they have signed a settlement and vowed to return are in vain. Otherwise, they would have returned on their own without the need for raids, arrest and forced surrender, as well as the detainees, should not be extradited for any reason to Syria.

We, in the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research, condemn this crime which committed by the Lebanese authorities and the public security in Lebanon and consider it a crime against humanity committed deliberately and the determination to know the criminals so that the returning Syrians may face threats to their freedom and lives. We take full legal and penal responsibility for this heinous crime and pledge to prosecute them as criminals, war criminals and criminals against humanity, and to violate international humanitarian law, which prevents forcing a person to return to a country where his life or freedom is threatened.

We call on all international organizations, the United Nations, its refugee bodies and the Red Cross to act immediately to follow up on the status of those handed over to the Syrian regime and to protect their lives and freedom and follow up the situation of refugees in Lebanon and prevent the recurrence of this crime again. We also call upon all States to exercise their influence over the Lebanese authority to stop violations of international humanitarian law and to commit them to carry out their duties to protect refugees and to provide them with safety and life.

Lawyer Anwar al-Bunni
President of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research

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