Beirut to extradite Al-Assad-era military official to Syria

Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanon’s judiciary has begun procedures to extradite Adel Issa, former commander of the Syrian army’s 17th Division under Bashar Al-Assad, to Syria after completing his interrogation, Lebanese media reported on Friday.

Lebanese authorities arrested Issa last week when he arrived at the Syrian Embassy in Beirut to finish administrative paperwork. He faces accusations of committing crimes during his service in the Syrian army.

More than 200 senior officers from Al-Assad’s former government fled to Lebanon after his fall, Reuters reported in January, although the total number and the legal cases against them remain unclear. Lebanon transferred around 70 Syrians, including former officers and military personnel, to Syria in December 2024.

Earlier this week, a Syrian court sentenced Al-Assad to death after convicting him of murder, torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity.