Lebanon is seeking a treaty that would see most Syrian prisoners serve the rest of their sentence in their homeland in a bid to ease severe overcrowding in Lebanese jails.
At Lebanon's largest jail of Roumieh, authorities have also reopened a court – which had last been active during the Covid-19 pandemic – as they seek to speed up the judicial process for suspects from Lebanon, Syria or elsewhere.
The idea of a treaty with Syria was formulated by Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who came into the position earlier this year in a new Lebanese government seeking to bring about reform in a country long plagued by institutional malaise.
Mr Nassar has also pushed forward with a draft law for enhanced judicial independence in a country where courts have long suffered from political interference. It is part of a wider push for an overhaul of the judicial system that includes its digitisation. A raft of new judges has also been appointed.
“When the Prime Minister went to Syria I addressed this issue with him,” Mr Nassar said, referring to the April visit to Damascus by Nawaf Salam, himself a former judge who headed the International Court of Justice until the start of the year.
“He addressed this to the Syrian authorities regarding the possibility to enter in to a treaty that would allow Syrian detainees in Lebanon to continue their sentence in Syria,” Mr Nassar told The National from his office at the Justice Ministry in Beirut.
“But this would not apply to people who were condemned for terrorism or for killing Lebanese citizens and soldiers – or [other] major crimes. It would apply for the majority, which are people who are sentences for stealing, for fraud etc. Not for killing Lebanese citizens,” added the minister, a Harvard-educated lawyer.
Lebanon's prisons are notorious for their overcrowding and cramped conditions, with a population hovering around 8,500. Last year, about 80 per cent of them were yet to have their case go to trial.
About 2,000 Syrian detainees are believed to be housed in Lebanese jails. The Lebanese government estimates about 1.5 million Syrians are in the country, although it is a figure difficult to properly verify.
Some of them, however, are held on terrorism charges for fighting against the Lebanese Army. In one case in 2014 in the border town of Arsal in the north-west reaches of Lebanon, fighters from ISIS and Jabhat Al Nusra – which included Syrian nationals – engaged in deadly clashes with the Lebanese Army for about a week.
Mr Nassar has not had direct contact with his Syrian counterpart, but insists the conversations are continuing between authorities in Beirut and Damascus.
Pressure on Lebanon
Last week SyriaTV reported that authorities were seeking to pressure Lebanon through political and diplomatic measures to address the issue of Syrian detainees – although that report was later denied by the Ministry of Information in Damascus, which said it sought to address the issue through official channels.
Nonetheless, a high-level Syrian delegation is expected in Beirut in the near future – with the prison situation expected to be on the agenda, even if the visit has not been officially confirmed.
The treaty idea was floated by Mr Nassar, and awaits a response and action from the Syrian side.
“I hope that the Syrian authorities will follow up on that because we opened the door and we are willing co-operate with them,” Mr Nassar said.
“I welcome a visit from the Syrian minister of justice to discuss the possibility to sign a treaty in order to have the issue addressed.”
Roumieh, an otherwise picturesque town overlooking Beirut, is home to by far the largest prison in Lebanon with about 3,400 detainees despite the buildings being built for 1,200.
Raja Abi Nader, the judge that heads the prisons directorate at the Ministry of Justice, said the Roumieh courts were relaunched on June 3, with 500 detainees having their case heard. By reopening the courts in Roumieh, the logistical time for suspects for be transferred has been dramatically cut, authorities say.
“Syrians, like Lebanese detainees, are suffering from the fact that prisons are overcrowded,” Mr Nassar said.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
