Syrian Embassy Suspends Services as Lebanon Hands Over Assad Officers

Syria’s embassy in Lebanon halted its consular services on Saturday, just one day after two relatives of former Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested at Beirut airport with suspected fake passports.

On the same day, Lebanese authorities deported dozens of Syrians, including former Syrian army officers who had served under Assad, back to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon. This information was confirmed by both a war monitor and Lebanese officials.

The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular services were suspended “until further notice,” following an order from the Syrian foreign ministry. However, the embassy did not provide a reason for the suspension.

According to two Lebanese security officials, who asked to remain anonymous, the decision was made because the passports belonging to Assad’s relatives—his cousin’s wife and daughter—were believed to have been forged at the embassy. It was noted that Assad’s uncle, Rifaat Assad, who faces war crimes and crimes against humanity charges in Switzerland, had departed on his valid passport the day before without issue.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 70 Syrians, including former officers from Assad’s army, were handed over to the new Syrian authorities, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Three Lebanese judicial officials confirmed this information, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, countries in the region have been quick to engage with Syria’s new leadership, with official visits from delegations from Libya and Bahrain arriving in Damascus on Saturday.

HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has worked to ease fears that his group would punish communities supporting Assad’s rule or impose strict Islamic law on religious minorities in Syria. However, tensions remain, with sporadic clashes erupting between HTS-led forces and pro-Assad groups. The new Syrian security forces have raided areas and set up checkpoints in regions populated by the Alawite minority, which Assad belongs to, to search for weapons.

There are also ongoing conflicts between Kurdish-led forces in northeastern Syria and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds are uneasy about the new Syrian order, which they feel strengthens Turkey’s position in the region. Ankara views the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a key ally of the U.S. in fighting ISIS—as linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist organization.

The U.S. State Department reported that Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday to discuss developments in Syria. Blinken emphasized the importance of supporting a Syrian-led political process that respects human rights and promotes an inclusive government, and both sides agreed on the shared goal of preventing terrorism from destabilizing both Syria and Turkey.

On the same day, hundreds of protesters organized by Kurdish women’s groups took part in a demonstration in Hasaka, a city in northeastern Syria, calling for women’s rights in the new political order. Perishan Ramadan, a protester from Hasaka, expressed her concerns, stating that the new government is even worse than Bashar Assad’s regime and accusing its leaders of being Islamist extremists who reject any role for women in society.

While the new leaders have yet to impose Islamic dress codes or other restrictions, there is uncertainty about what role women will play in the new system, including whether they will hold political positions. Rihan Loqo, a spokeswoman for the Kongra Star women’s organization, stressed the importance of ensuring that women’s rights are included in Syria’s new constitution, asserting that their rights must not be overlooked.