BEIRUT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement here on Friday to transfer convicted Syrian prisoners from Lebanese jails to Syria, with the deal set to take effect on Saturday morning and initially covering around 300 inmates, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported.
The agreement, signed between senior Lebanese officials and a Syrian delegation including justice authorities chief Mazhar al-Wais, and with the presence of Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, allows the repatriated prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentences in Syria, the NNA reported.
Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said the deal resulted from months of joint work by judges and experts from both countries, reflecting "a shared political will based on trust and mutual respect," the NNA reported.
Mitri explained that the transfer applies to prisoners who have already served at least 10 years, with no exceptions. A separate legal process will address detainees not covered under the agreement, the NNA reported.
For his part, al-Wais called the agreement an important humanitarian step to ease the suffering of prisoners and their families. He emphasized that the deal is unconditional and reaffirmed respect for Lebanese sovereignty, the NNA reported.
The agreement marks a step in addressing the long-standing issue of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon. ■
