Mikati Calls for Distancing Lebanon from Syria Developments as Opposition Rejoices at Regime’s Demise

25 June 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati looks on during a meeting with Germany's Foreign Minister Baerbock. (dpa)
25 June 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati looks on during a meeting with Germany's Foreign Minister Baerbock. (dpa)
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Mikati Calls for Distancing Lebanon from Syria Developments as Opposition Rejoices at Regime’s Demise

25 June 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati looks on during a meeting with Germany's Foreign Minister Baerbock. (dpa)
25 June 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati looks on during a meeting with Germany's Foreign Minister Baerbock. (dpa)

Lebanese officials called on Sunday for distancing Lebanon from the developments in Syria amid the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati carried out a series of contacts with the heads of security agencies, urging them to tighten security measures at the border with Syria and to keep Lebanon away from the fallout of the regime’s ouster.

He also called on the Lebanese people, regardless of their differences, to “act wisely and steer clear of provocative reactions during this sensitive time.”

He contacted the concerned authorities and tasked them to follow up on the case of Lebanese people forcibly detained in Syrian jails.

Meanwhile, opponents of the regime, which for several years suffered at the hands of Damascus’ brutal policies and practices, stressed that the downfall was a victory for justice against oppression.

The regime is widely blamed for the assassination of several of its opponents in Lebanon.

Former head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt telephoned former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, stressing to him that “divine justice has been achieved for slain former PM Rafik al-Hariri and all of the martyrs of the March 14 movement who were killed by Bashar al-Assad's regime.”

For his part, Saad replied: “May God have mercy of Kamal Jumblatt’s soul.”

Walid’s father Kamal was a major Druze political leader who is widely believed to have been assassinated by Damascus in 1977.

Rafik Hariri, Saad’s father, was assassinated in a major car bombing in February 2005. Members of Hezbollah, a regime ally, were indicted in his killing, which the opposition says was ordered by Damascus. His assassination sparked massive anti-regime protests in Lebanon that culminated in Syria withdrawing its forces from the country.

Syrian and Lebanese people celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime on December 8, 2024, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, after the Syrian capital Damascus fell into the hands of anti-government fighters. (AFP)

“Greetings to the Syrian people at long last,” said Jumblatt in a post on the X platform commenting on Assad’s downfall.

In a post on X, head of the Kataeb party MP Samy Gemayel recalled his uncle slain president-elect Bashir Gemayel, whom Syria is accused of killing in 1982, and his brother former minister Pierre, who was gunned down in 2006.

“The oppressor has fallen, and Lebanon and the Kataeb remain. Your names will continue to breathe freedom, sovereignty and independence,” he added.

The Mustaqbal Movement congratulated the Syrian people over the “victory of justice against oppression and for toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime.”

It called on the Lebanese people to maintain national unity during this critical time and to protect the gains of the Syrian people from attempts to create instability.

Marada Movement leader Tony Franjieh, whose father Suleiman is a personal friend of Assad, said on X: “The priority for Syria is the peaceful transition of power and for stability to prevail in the country.”

“Lebanon’s stability has long been closely connected to Syria’s,” he noted.

Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Gebran Bassil, a former ally of Hezbollah, said on X: “The developments in Syria concern Syria. We hope that it will reflect positively on Syria and Lebanon and lead to the rapid return of Syrian refugees back to their homes.”

He also hoped for the establishment of “positive and balanced ties” between Lebanon and Syria that preserve the sovereignty of each country without meddling in the other’s affairs.



Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)

As Lebanese authorities proceed with the deportation of Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, the son of the late cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian source involved in the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo plans to formally request his extradition from Abu Dhabi once he arrives there.

Controversy has surrounded the case since Lebanon announced that the government had approved the deportation of Qaradawi to the UAE instead of Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that citizenship is not an obstacle in extradition cases between countries, saying that a state may decide to extradite a person to another country even if they hold the nationality of a third state, as in the case of Qaradawi’s son.

According to Lebanese sources, the decision to extradite Qaradawi to the UAE is based on a warrant issued by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. As a member of the council, Lebanon is obligated to comply with the UAE’s request, despite the absence of a direct bilateral extradition agreement between the two countries.

Additionally, the extradition decision was influenced by the fact that the charges against Qaradawi are criminal, not political, as political charges would prevent extradition and instead warrant protection under international conventions.

An Egyptian judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the International Cooperation Office of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor had prepared a comprehensive file containing all rulings issued against Qaradawi to ensure that the extradition request met all legal requirements. This file was sent to Lebanese judicial authorities through official channels. However, Egypt has yet to receive a response from Lebanon, though one is expected in the coming days.

Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mehran, a member of the American and European societies for international law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international law generally allows extradition when the individual is either a citizen of the requesting state, has committed a crime on its territory, or when the requesting state has a direct legal interest in the case.

As Qaradawi is an Egyptian citizen, Egypt “has the legal right to request his extradition under international law and bilateral agreements, provided all legal conditions are met,” Mehran said.

Meanwhile, Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, confirmed plans to file an urgent appeal in Lebanese courts to prevent his client’s extradition, according to Reuters. Mehran explained that extradition laws grant the individual the right to appeal in court, while the requesting states also have the right to challenge decisions.

Mehran suggested that if Qaradawi is ultimately handed over to the UAE, it is highly likely he will later be extradited to Egypt after procedural requirements in the Emirates are fulfilled. This is due to the strong bilateral relations and close security coordination between Egypt and the UAE.

Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, who holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria. His arrest followed an Interpol red notice issued based on an in absentia ruling by an Egyptian court sentencing him to five years in prison for spreading false news, inciting violence, and terrorism. Before his arrest, Qaradawi appeared in a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, where he made remarks considered offensive to both Egypt and the UAE.