An ex-detainee told the Syrian Human Rights Committee that he met during his detention in al-Hasakah Province with two Lebanese detainees whose date of arrest goes back to October 1990 during the Syrian presence in Lebanon.
In a detailed letter, the ex-detainee said that he met the two Christian priests Suleiman Abu Khalil and Albert Sherfan several times and shared a communal cell with each of them alternately in late 2004 and early 2005 in al-Hasakah Prison. He added that both are from the monastery of Beit al-Qala’a in Beit Meri in Lebanon. They were arrested along with 20 Lebanese soldiers who sought refugee in the monastery when the Syrian Intelligence forces raided it in 13/10/1990 during the civil war in Lebanon.

 SHRC condemns the arbitrary and despotic arrests as well as the forced disappearance in the Syrian regime prisons and requests the immediate release of all detainees including Suleiman Abu Khalil and Albert Sherfan and the disclosure of the fate of the disappeared whether they are Syrians, Lebanese or Palestinians. SHRC also appeals to Human Rights activists in Syrian and worldwide to act to release the detainees and disclose the whereabouts of the disappeared in the Syrian prisons.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
14/03/2008