Report: Syria Releases 20 Lebanese Prisoners
There were conflicting reports Friday on the release of Lebanese prisoners jailed in Syria on criminal charges.
An informed Syrian source said that judicial authorities released 20 Lebanese on Thursday, but denied reports that 300 Lebanese were freed.
An Nahar daily said that neither Lebanese nor Syrian official sources confirmed the report on the 300 prisoners. Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and head of the Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council Nasri Khoury also denied that Lebanese authorities had been informed about such a move by Damascus.
"The number is much less. It doesn”t exceed 20 prisoners," the Syrian source said, adding that three Lebanese detainees were released several days ago at the end of their sentence in central Adra jail.
"The number of Lebanese prisoners at Adra jail is less than 30." They are all serving criminal sentences, the source added.