Syria halts embassy services after arrests of Assad relatives
- Syria's embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services due to the arrest of relatives of Bashar Assad.
- Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians, including former army officers, to new Syrian authorities.
- The recent political developments in Syria highlight the ongoing tensions and the importance of women's rights in the new political landscape.
In a significant shift in diplomatic relations, Syria's embassy in Lebanon announced the suspension of its consular services on December 28, 2024. This decision followed the recent arrest of two relatives of deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad at Beirut airport, where they were reportedly caught with forged passports. The Syrian foreign ministry has authorized the suspension of services 'until further notice,' although the specific reasons behind this drastic measure were not detailed in the announcement. Moreover, Lebanese authorities took the opportunity to hand over approximately 70 Syrians, including former officers from the Syrian army under Assad's regime, to the new Syrian government. These individuals had been apprehended for illegally entering Lebanon. The developments reflect a growing collaboration between Lebanon and the newly established Syrian authorities, which are led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Simultaneously, HTS has faced the challenge of maintaining control and addressing various groups' concerns in a region that has seen decades of conflict. Although HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa was able to quell fears of retribution against pro-Assad communities, sporadic conflicts have arisen with pro-Assad armed factions. The HTS-led security forces are actively conducting operations targeting Assad officials and searching for weapons within areas populated by the Alawite minority, which Assad belongs to. Amid these political upheavals, the situation for women in Syria remains precarious. In Hasaka, hundreds of protesters, primarily from Kurdish women’s groups, voiced their demands for women's rights within the newly forming political structure. Activists have been vocal about the need for women to be integrated into the forthcoming constitution and hold positions of power in the government. There is concern that, despite the current leaders not enforcing strict Islamic regulations, women's roles and rights may still be sidelined as the new Syrian order takes shape.