Damascus – Action Group
The Action Group’s correspondent in Damascus reported the release of Khaled Ahmed Awad, a young Palestinian-Syrian man, after he spent 21 years in Lebanese prisons. His release was part of a prisoner exchange plan under the judicial and security agreement signed between Syria and Lebanon.
According to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Damascus announced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the receipt of the second batch of prisoners held in Lebanese prisons (primarily Roumieh Prison), comprising 128 inmates.
This transfer was carried out in accordance with the agreement concerning the exchange of prisoners and the strengthening of judicial cooperation signed between the two countries on February 6.
Sources close to Khaled Awad confirmed to the Action Group that they had met with him in Damascus after his 21-year absence. He is originally from the al-A’edeen camp in Hama.
Khaled Ahmed Awad had previously been sentenced by the Lebanese Judicial Council to hard labor in cases related to the Nahr al-Bared camp in northern Lebanon. The sentence included a clause stipulating his immediate deportation from Lebanon upon his release and a lifetime ban on his return.
It should be noted that official reports indicated that the total number of detainees in this case and covered by the mutual agreements is 126 Syrians (including Syrian Palestinians ).