EXCLUSIVE: Syrian president mediates Hezbollah-UAE prisoner release talks
A top Hezbollah official has traveled to the UAE as the two sides are reportedly close to securing the release of several Lebanese detainees
Informed sources have revealed exclusively to The Cradle that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad mediated talks between the UAE and Hezbollah for the release of several Lebanese citizens who remain behind bars in the Gulf nation.
As a result of Assad's efforts, Wafiq Safa, the head of Hezbollah's Liaison and Coordination Unit, traveled to the UAE on 19 March in a private jet accompanied by an Emirati mediator and a third person.
According to Al-Jadeed, the aim is for the detainees to return to Lebanon before the end of the month of Ramadan.
At least seven Lebanese citizens remain inside UAE prisons, including four who have received life sentences: Abdullah Abdullah, Ali Mobader, Fawzi Dakroub, and Abdul Rahman Shoman; a fifth prisoner, Ahmed Makkawi, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Rounding up the seven are Ahmed Faour and Walid Idris.
They were arrested on charges of “forming cells affiliated with Hezbollah” with the aim of “carrying out terrorist acts.” However, their defense argues Emirati authorities have provided no evidence to prove their case.
In May 2023, Abu Dhabi released 10 Lebanese detainees arrested earlier in the year. Their release came in the wake of the death of detainee Ghazi Ezz El-Din in detention.
A group of the detainees' family members at the time alleged Ezzedine had died as a result of torture, with rights groups raising concerns about Abu Dhabi's lack of transparency.
In February 2021, negotiations led by Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the former Director General of Lebanon's Public Security, resulted in the release of eight Lebanese citizens held in Emirati prisons.
The Syrian president's role in the latest prisoner exchange talks comes thanks to a thaw in bilateral relations between Damascus and Abu Dhabi that started in March 2022.
Although the UAE led the charge in bringing Syria back to the regional fold after more than a decade of war, last year, the US exerted pressure on Gulf states to freeze all promises of humanitarian aid and investment in Syria.
US lawmakers have even introduced legislation aimed at targeting countries that normalize ties with the Syrian government.