FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 09, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) condemns the abuse and unlawful detention of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which has resulted in at least 40 deaths and, most recently, the suicide of Muhammad Fawaz al-Ashraf. Since 2014, Hezbollah and complicit Lebanese forces have arrested hundreds of Syrian refugees—particularly Syrian revolution supporters—and sentenced them in unfair military trials, despite repatriation efforts by Syria’s new government.
These violations began after Hezbollah’s 2013 capture of Qusayr and Western Qalamoun, forcing thousands to flee to Lebanon and settle in Arsal’s camps without basic services or legal protections. Starting in 2014, Hezbollah and Lebanese forces launched raids, arresting Syrians on charges of “association with the Syrian Revolution”. Medical centers were also attacked, with wounded refugees tortured and/or killed in front of their families. Arrests intensified in 2017 and continued until three months before Assad’s fall.
Detainees face the Hezbollah-influenced Lebanese Military Court, known for harsh, politically motivated rulings against revolution supporters. Its current head, Brigadier General Wassim Fayyad, recently sentenced three Syrians and two Lebanese to life imprisonment.
Many detainees are held in Roumieh Central Prison in Lebanon, where conditions are dire. Designed for 1,400 but housing over 4,000, the prison suffers from extreme overcrowding, medical neglect, and food shortages. “Those of us Syrians detained in Roumieh Prison were arrested not because we are criminals, but because we called out on Assad’s crimes. And now, the price we’ve had to pay for asking for freedom has been harsh; we are being held in cells overflowing with disease and being suffocated daily with unbearable psychological pressure”, stated a Syrian refugee currently held in Roumieh Prison. He added, “Over seven months after the fall of the regime, we are still detained in this prison without legal or moral justification.”
At least 40 detainees have died due to medical negligence since 2017. Dozens more, including the elderly and chronically ill, remain without care. In 2024 alone, two Syrian detainees experienced severe mental health deterioration and were transferred to a psychiatric facility, and on Friday July 4th 2025, 40-year old Syrian Muhammad Fawaz al-Ashraf, also known as “Muhammad al-Malik,” committed suicide in Roumieh Prison. He was found hanging after two and a half years without trial. Al-Ashraf suffered from psoriasis and had been denied hospital treatment, leading to severe psychological deterioration and, ultimately, his tragic death.
SETF stands with the victims and their families and calls on the Lebanese government, the United States government, and the international community to pressure for the return of these innocent civilians. These are the last remaining unlawful Syrian detainees by Iran, Assad and Hezbollah and deserve to return home.
For inquiries, please contact:
Maria Cure, Director of Communications
[email protected] www.setf.ngo
About the Syrian Emergency Task Force
The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) is a Syrian-American 501(c)(3) headquartered in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to advancing Syria’s future after the fall of the Assad regime, SETF supports a democratic transition, leads humanitarian efforts, and works to secure justice and accountability for war crimes committed by the regime and its allies. Today, SETF stands as the most notable American organization working on Syria, as evidenced by the impact it has made both on the ground in Syria and the U.S. SETF serves as a resource for education by bringing the voices of the Syrian people to the international stage. From testimonies at the UN Security Council to local grassroots community fundraisers, the team brings together like-minded people who are committed to rebuilding a peaceful, democratic Syria after enduring years of brutality under a repressive dictatorship.
