Having survived “migrant boat” disaster | Lebanese civilian and eight Syrians detained in regime prisons amid concerns about their lives

SOHR sources have reported that eight Syrian civilians and one Lebanese, who survived the incident of the migrant boat which sank in the Mediterranean sea last week, have been detained by regime security services, amid concerns about their lives.

 

According to sources, the Lebanese civilian is wanted by the military intelligence service, and he was arrested after having been rescued at the sea and transported to Tartus hospital. Syrian authorities later denied his arrest, amid fears that he may be forcibly disappeared.

 

It is worth noting that Syria’s laws carry a maximum penalty of five-year imprisonment and a fine of five up to ten million Syrian liras, or one of those penalties, on everybody entering or leaving Syria illegally and on everybody arrested on the Syria border, unless there is a justified reason for his/her presence.

 

The migrants set off from Lebanon, while the survivors were rescued at Syrian water near Tarus, so the law penalty which the survivors my be subjected to is not identified so far.

 

SOHR sources have confirmed the arrest of eight Syrians of the survivals of the “migrant boat” disaster, as they were arrested shortly after having been rescued by residents of Arwad island and fishermen from Tartus.

 

After inaction of regime forces and affiliated rescue teams to rescue the victims of the “migrant boat,” regime government has provided diesel to the residents of Arwad island as a form of compensation for the amounts of diesel they used while they were attempting to rescue survivals.

 

On February 11, 2021, tens of Syrian refugees were deceived by Lebanese smugglers who delivered them to Syrian regime authorities, where their boat, which set off from Tripoli and supposed to head to Europe, arrived in Baniyas.

 

Those refugees were arrested then by regime forces and transported by buses to security centres in Damascus, while the fate of many of them remains unknown.

 

SOHR stresses that the lives of some survivals are at risk as they are wanted by security services and have stayed in Lebanon for a while.

 

We, at SOHR, call for holding accountable all bodies involved in the disaster and all officials and authorities responsible for rescuing the victims, which started rescue operations hours after being informed of the disaster, mainly the general manager of ports “Samer Qoprosli.”