Reports suggest that the escape of these officials to Lebanon was coordinated days before the fall of Damascus [Getty]
Senior Syrian officials from Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime and their relatives are reportedly seeking refuge in the capital Beirut under Hezbollah’s protection after Syrian rebels seized control on Sunday, according to Lebanese media reports.
Some of these figures were staying in luxury hotels in Beirut and Hezbollah strongholds in the city’s southern suburbs, the Lebanese daily Nidaa al-Watan reported, as evidence of mass human rights abuses by the Assad regime comes to light in Damascus.
Among those in hiding is Ali Mamlouk, a sanctioned high-ranking intelligence official and adviser to Assad, who is also wanted by Lebanese authorities on terror charges for alleged involvement in the 2013 bombing of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques in Tripoli.
Mamlouk was staying “comfortably” in a luxury hotel in Beirut under the protection of Hezbollah and State Security forces, the outlet said, as Syrians uncover dungeons used by the Assad regime to hold, torture, and kill thousands of supposed critics.
Similarly, Ghada Adib Mhanna, the wife of Assad’s uncle and the mother of Rami Makhlouf – Assad’s cousin and a key financial figure in his regime – is reportedly staying at a five-star hotel in central Beirut, the outlet said.
Firas Issa Shaleesh, the nephew of Dhu al-Himma Shalish – Assad’s cousin and head of presidential security who died in 2022 and was implicated in the Jisr al-Shighour massacre under Hafez al-Assad’s rule – was reportedly staying at another luxury hotel in Beirut.
The outlet noted that the two hotels had tightened security around them, including up to three state security patrols assigned to each of them.
Reports suggest that the escape of these officials to Lebanon was coordinated days before the fall of Damascus, facilitated by Hezbollah and a General Security officer at the Lebanese border with known ties to Mamlouk, according to Nidaa al-Watan.
Syrian operatives reportedly paid bribes amounting to thousands of dollars to General Security personnel to secure their passage, the paper added.
Risks for Lebanon’s security
This influx of Syrian intelligence figures poses significant risks to Lebanon’s security and stability, with the outlet warning that “harbouring these fugitives could expose Lebanon to international sanctions and jeopardise relations with the international community”.
It also noted that their presence raised concerns about potential reprisals, including risks of being targets of Israeli strikes on Beirut or the southern suburbs.
The situation sparked outrage among Lebanese, especially the families of victims of the Syrian regime’s atrocities, including during their occupation of Lebanon.
A leading Druze-dominated political party on Tuesday warned that Lebanon must not become a safe haven for Syrian officials who were responsible for crimes.
The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), led by the Lebanese Jumblatt family, called on Beirut to prevent the country from becoming a refuge for regime officials so Lebanon “does not bear legal and political repercussions”.
“After news of some leaders of the ousted regime in Syria fleeing to Lebanon through legal crossings, or crossing from Lebanon to other countries, the Progressive Socialist Party warns of the danger of turning Lebanon into a safe haven for those responsible for many crimes against Lebanese and Syrians.”
On Tuesday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati addressed reports on the entry or transit of former Syrian officials through Lebanon.
“The Lebanese government’s policy has always been to adhere to Lebanese and international laws,” he said, adding he was working closely with the minister of justice, the public prosecution and the acting director-general of the General Security to address the issue in a way that “severed Lebanon’s interests and maintains future relations with the Syrian people”.
