Paris, France – Diplomatic pressure on Beirut has intensified after France and Syria asked Lebanese authorities to hand over former Syrian Air Force Intelligence chief Jamil Hassan. The Wall Street Journal reported that the two sides made formal requests following information indicating Hassan’s presence within Lebanese territory.
Western and Syrian sources indicate that Hassan moved to Beirut after leaving Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime. These sources confirm that former security figures from the regime are working to rebuild their networks of influence in Lebanon, and Hassan’s presence is the focus of intensive diplomatic efforts.
The French request is based on a ruling by a Paris court that convicted Hassan in absentia of crimes against humanity, while the Syrian request is linked to the new government’s efforts to prosecute officials involved in abuses that occurred during Assad’s rule.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the whereabouts of former Syrian Air Force Intelligence chief Jamil Hassan remain uncertain, while a number of current and former Syrian and Western officials suspect he is in Lebanon.
The Wall Street Journal quoted a French official as saying that France and Syria have asked Lebanese authorities to arrest former Syrian Air Force Intelligence chief Jamil Hassan on Lebanese soil.
In contrast, the newspaper quoted a senior Lebanese judicial official as saying that the Lebanese government has no confirmed information about Hassan’s whereabouts.
Earlier last year, a judicial source revealed that Lebanon had received an Interpol warrant from the United States to arrest former Syrian Air Force Intelligence Director, Major General Jamil al-Hassan.
