Lebanon’s General Directorate of Internal Security Forces issued a statement clarifying the incident of leaked images of passports belonging to a Syrian diplomatic delegation that arrived in Lebanon on 17 September.

In its statement published on Tuesday, 21 October, the directorate said investigations by the Central Survey Unit in the Embassy Security Department found that a member of a patrol from the Embassy of Syria’s protection and escort group photographed the delegation members’ documents while they were at the al-Masnaa border crossing, in the presence of embassy employees. He then sent the images to a colleague to expedite an administrative procedure, only for the photos to later surface on social media.

According to the statement, the second officer sent a copy of the documents to his former unit commander, who had since been transferred to another security unit. The former commander then forwarded them to a civilian, after which the images spread widely online.

Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of the former unit commander, while the officers and the civilian involved were released on residence bonds upon the judiciary’s instruction. Disciplinary measures were imposed on the officers who violated instructions.

What happened?

Social media circulated an image of a passport belonging to Mohammed Taha al-Ahmed, Director of the Arab Affairs Department at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, taken as he entered Lebanon on 17 September via the al-Masnaa crossing. The incident sparked broad debate about a security breach involving sensitive diplomatic data.

The Syrian delegation, accompanied by members of Lebanon’s Embassy Security Unit, completed entry procedures alongside representatives of the Syrian embassy before heading to Beirut.

The leak drew condemnation from Lebanese activists and political figures who demanded accountability for those involved. The General Directorate of General Security in Lebanon denied responsibility for the leak, affirming that investigations were ongoing to identify which security entity captured and disseminated the image.

Visits addressing “outstanding issues”

A Syrian delegation visited the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on 1 September to discuss “outstanding issues” between Damascus and Beirut, chiefly the file of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons and border demarcation. The delegation met Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tarek Mitri.

The Associated Press, citing judicial and security officials, reported that Beirut and Damascus would form two committees to determine the fate of around 2,000 Syrian prisoners held in Lebanese prisons, locate Lebanese citizens missing in Syria for years, and address border arrangements.

The Syrian delegation included Mohammed Taha al-Ahmed, Director of Arab Affairs at the Foreign Ministry; Mohammad Yaqub al-Omar, head of the Consular Affairs Department; and Mohammad Reda Jalkhi, head of the “National Commission for the Missing.”

In a Facebook post at the time, Consular Affairs Director Mohammad Yaqub al-Omar said he met, on the assignment of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, with Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said that in addition to the Syrian detainees’ file, the meeting discussed “cooperation on securing borders and preventing smuggling,” as well as the issue of Syrian refugees, their return to Syria, and the importance of facilitating it.

Participants, according to the agency, agreed to “review and improve Lebanese–Syrian agreements” and to “consider agreements and procedures that encourage economic cooperation between the two countries.”

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani also visited Lebanon on 10 October, discussing several files, notably activating relations between Syria and Lebanon, existing agreements between the two countries, the status of land and maritime borders and the gas line, and the issue of detainees.

The minister announced progress regarding Syrian detainees in Lebanon’s Roumieh Prison after meetings with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

On 14 October, a Syrian delegation led by Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais visited Beirut to discuss the file of Syrian detainees in Lebanon.

The visit aimed to explore avenues for cooperation to support joint efforts to “lift injustice from detainees and achieve justice,” in a manner that safeguards their dignity and rights, according to the Syrian Ministry of Justice’s official pages.