France seeks wanted senior Assad regime figures in Lebanon

The fallen Assad regime’s presence in Lebanon appears far from being over. However, instead of it being a traditional military and diplomatic involvement, today it comes in the form of a subtle refuge manner.

Ever since the ousting of the aforementioned regime on December 8, 2024, rumors and leaks have been spread regarding the presence of former senior officers affiliated with the regime in Lebanon. They have reportedly taken refuge in the country, either to settle or to head to a third country, fleeing from potential arrests and accountability. However, their days in the country seem numbered as foreign actors began to seek their arrest and prosecution for their alleged crimes; among them is France.

France requests to arrest wanted senior Syrian regime figures from Lebanon

The Lebanese judiciary, through Investigative Prosecutor Judge Jamal al-Hajjar, received a request for legal assistance (in the form of an official dispatch) from the French judiciary, asking to track down officials affiliated with the deposed Assad regime, arrest them if they are found on Lebanese territory and submit them to French authorities.

This is not a new move, but rather a consecutive follow up on previous prosecutions and arrest warrants the French judiciary had previously carried out against significant former Syrian regime figures. This even includes Bashar al-Assad himself, which it issued 3 arrest warrants in absentia against the ousted president.

An informed judicial source reported that al-Hajjar tasked the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) with conducting the necessary investigations in this regard, checking whether the three wanted Syrian officers are present on Lebanese soil and detaining them accordingly. He also requested, according to the same source, monitoring the movement of their entry and exit, as well as their legality.

Who are the fugitives that France seeks to prosecute?

France is seeking to arrest and prosecute 3 senior former Syrian regime figures. The targeted individuals are:

-Director of Administration for the Air Force Intelligence, Major General Jamil al-Hassan:

He has close relations with Russia and is known for his brutality and repression. With the outbreak of peaceful demonstrations in 2011, al-Hassan emerged as one of those most embroiled in the random arrest, extortion, theft, torture, and murder of protesters. He is the originator of the famous quote, “I am ready to kill a million people, and afterward they can take me to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.” In December 2024, Interpol reportedly asked Lebanese authorities to arrest Jamil al-Hassan.

- Director of the National Security Office, Major General Ali Mamlouk:

Mamlouk is considered a “black box” of the Assad regime’s secrets. Given his experience with repression technologies and methods, the ousted President Bashar al-Assad entrusted him with cracking down on the protesters, which included serious violations of human right against civilians. Unlike al-Hassan, Mamlouk had developed close ties with Iran, securing essential technology and training for the Syrian General Intelligence agency (in terms of surveillance and various online tools). Interestingly, Mamlouk was also accused of his responsibility in supplying the former convicted Lebanese minister Michel Samaha with explosives and funds to carry out numerous bombings and assassinations in Lebanon.

- Director of the Investigation Branch in the Air Intelligence, Major General Abdulsalam Fajr Mahmoud:

Mahmoud had become a notorious individual in the ousted regime. He was famously known, particularly, for his severe interrogation practices and abuses against detainees and prisoners all across Syria. This was especially true with regards to the Investigative Branch at Mezzeh Military Airport, which he personally headed. Mahmoud’s name was even mentioned in the Ceaser Act files, as well as other notable international human rights organizations’ reports.