The General Directorate of General Security hit back anew on Friday at those who criticized the deportation of 14 Syrians to their strife-torn country, reiterating that those deported were convicted of crimes committed in Lebanon.
The General Directorate of General Security hit back anew on Friday at those who criticized the deportation of 14 Syrians to their strife-torn country, reiterating that those deported were convicted of crimes committed in Lebanon.
“Any decision taken by the General Directorate of General Security stems from the laws and regulations that govern its work and is under the authority of the Lebanese judiciary,” the directorate said in a statement.
It stressed that it is “in constant coordination and communication with the international humanitarian organizations and the international Red Cross concerning the affairs of the foreign and Arab expatriates,” adding that “these organizations are being informed on a regular basis of the General Security’s measures and procedures.”
“The persons deported received judicial verdicts for crimes they committed on Lebanese territory, which the Syrian state has nothing to do with,” the directorate said, adding that “these verdicts were related to theft, forgery and rape attempts, not to anything else.”
“The General Directorate of General Security is not concerned with the remarks about the political and factional issues and other statements that are aimed at distorting the facts,” the directorate added.
The directorate also noted that it had refrained from deporting Syrians held in connection with the seized arms ship Lutfallah II, and other arms smugglers, after they said during interrogation that they belong to the Syrian opposition.
“This proves that the deportation measures taken by the directorate have nothing to do with politics or the factional or political affiliation of the person facing deportation,” it said.
The directorate called on everyone not to deal with laws and regulations with a political approach and not to turn them into a subject of controversy, stressing that its decisions are always in line with the applicable Lebanese laws.
The General Security deported 14 Syrians on Wednesday, drawing criticism from human rights activists.
A Human Rights Watch representative in Beirut said some of the deportees had expressed fears of persecution on their return.
But a General Security official told AFP that those deported were wanted for common law not political offences.
