Lebanon's new amnesty law has drawn criticism from thousands of Lebanese living in Israel who say it fails to address their legal status, while negotiations over the measure nearly collapsed over the case of an Islamist detainee.
Parliament has passed an amnesty law intended to address wartime grievances and divisions, but it leaves unresolved the status of Lebanese nationals who departed to Israel after the 2000 Israeli withdrawal and now reside there. The law is expected to benefit approximately four thousand convicted persons, detainees and wanted individuals through the dismissal, reduction or commutation of charges and sentences, yet entire categories remain excluded based on the nature of crimes attributed to them and specific exemptions written into the text.
The legislation does not grant blanket amnesty to all Lebanese in Israel. Crimes of treason, espionage and unauthorised contact with Israel remain outside the scope of the law. The text reopens pathways for categories covered by Law 194 of 2011, which permitted the return of civilians and family members who did not serve militarily or in security positions in the South Lebanon Army, the Israeli-backed militia that controlled portions of southern Lebanon during its occupation.
Residents of Qleiya, a village that saw many of its sons depart to Israel following the 2000 withdrawal, issued a statement objecting to the measure. They said the law "does not align at all with our aspirations and does not express the true nature of our sons' issue nor touch upon its essence." They called on President Joseph Aoun to return the law before its passage in its current form, arguing that their sons "are not in a position to request amnesty" and that their case "is a matter of justice and citizenship that does not accept division or political bargaining."
One Lebanese man who departed to Israel in 2000 told the outlet that the law in its current form is "shameful for the Lebanese state" because while it covered different categories of prisoners and detainees, it failed to explicitly address the situation of former South Lebanon Army members. He stressed that their demand is "clear amnesty that includes South Lebanon Army elements by name." He estimated that the militia numbered around 2,500 members, many of whom left with their families due to fear and threats that accompanied the Israeli withdrawal.
Between four thousand and 4,500 Lebanese and their children and grandchildren now reside in Israel, according to these sources. Most do not contemplate returning under current conditions due to the absence of guarantees and the security and political situation in Lebanon. Contact with Lebanon is largely limited to family members, and there exist no serious channels of communication with Lebanese political parties, the man said.
The South Lebanon Army was established during Lebanon's civil war, initially led by Saad Haddad and later by Antoine Lahd. With Israeli backing, it controlled portions of southern Lebanon within what became known as the "security zone" until the 2000 Israeli withdrawal. After that withdrawal, a large number of its members and their families departed to Israel, while others remained in Lebanon and faced trials on charges related to collaboration with Israel.
The amnesty law nearly failed over a second contentious issue: the cases of Islamic detainees, particularly Ahmad al-Assir and certain convicted and detained individuals connected to his case. According to informed sources, this file threatened to derail the law at multiple points in negotiations. Al-Assir emerged in Sidon with a strongly anti-Hezbollah stance and opposition to the party's military involvement in the Syrian war alongside the Bashar al-Assad regime, before his confrontation with the Lebanese Army ended in the Abra clashes of June 2013.
Fighting broke out on 23 June 2013 between al-Assir's supporters and the Lebanese Army and continued into the following day, when the military took control of the compound where al-Assir's armed followers had entrenched themselves. Eighteen military personnel were killed and approximately one hundred others wounded, in addition to an unspecified number of armed fighters. Al-Assir went into hiding after the clashes before his arrest at Beirut airport in August 2015 as he attempted to leave the country using a forged identity document.
During discussions of the amnesty law, Sunni political forces pressed for addressing the cases of detainees they said had spent years without final judgments or had been tried in a political climate affected by the Syrian war and divisions over Hezbollah's military intervention on behalf of the Assad regime. The dispute over whether any amnesty would encompass those convicted of killing Lebanese Army soldiers nearly derailed the political settlement that ultimately enabled the law's passage in parliament.
The law does not enter into force immediately. It must be referred to President Joseph Aoun for his signature and publication in the official gazette. According to sources, Aoun is expected to sign the law in its current form following the political settlement that allowed its passage through parliament. The signing and publication process represents the final stage before the amnesty takes legal effect, though key constituencies remain dissatisfied with its scope and the exclusions it contains.
