Lebanon has handed Syria a erstwhile wide who served nether the ousted authorities of Bashar al-Assad, successful the archetypal extradition of its benignant since his authorities fell.
Maj Gen Adel Issa, 67, is accused of a raft of crimes allegedly committed during the Syrian civilian war, which ended successful December 2024 erstwhile rebel forces took the capital, Damascus, and Assad fled.
Issa was detained connected 8 August aft visiting the Syrian embassy successful Beirut to implicit paperwork and was transferred into Syrian custody connected Wednesday.
The handover follows unit from Syria's caller authorities connected Lebanon to enactment against erstwhile information and subject officials who fled crossed the borderline aft Assad's fall.
The Syrian interior ministry said Issa led crushed forces successful the eastbound state of Deir Ezzor until 2016.
He is accused of charges including execution arsenic good arsenic "torture starring to decease and crimes of aggression with the purpose of inciting civilian warfare and sectarian fighting", it said.
Judicial officials told the BBC that Issa denied the charges during his arrest.
The determination to extradite him was made nether an statement betwixt the 2 countries dating backmost to 1951.
Issa's lawsuit volition present spell earlier a referral justice successful Damascus, who volition determine whether it should proceed to a transgression court.
In January, Syria gave Lebanese officials a database of much than 200 erstwhile elder officers it wants prosecuted.
Since taking power, authorities led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa person pursued cases against dozens of erstwhile officials.
Earlier this month, a Damascus tribunal sentenced Assad and his brother, Maher, to decease successful absentia implicit abuses committed during the civilian war. They fled to Moscow erstwhile Sharaa's forces seized power.
Their cousins, Waseem al-Assad and Atif Najib, person been arrested successful Syria and besides sentenced to death.
Additional reporting by BBC Arabic's Joya Berbery successful Beirut
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