Geagea to Justice and Foreign Affairs Ministers: Why does the Syrian government refuse to hand over those wanted for assassinating Pascal Sleiman?

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea announced on Thursday that four months have passed since the assassination of the LF coordinator in Jbeil, Pascal Sleiman, and the whole truth has not been revealed yet.

In a statement, Geagea noted that while the Lebanese Army's Intelligence Directorate currently detains five individuals, the gang leader, Zakaria Zafer Kassem, and key member, Firas Riad Maimo, remain in Syrian custody and have not been extradited to Lebanese authorities.

"My question goes to the Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs: Why does the Syrian government refuse to hand over Zakaria and Maimo, who are detained in Syrian prisons and wanted by Lebanese judicial authorities? Their arrest is crucial to uncovering the motives behind the assassination and identifying those responsible," Geagea said.

Geagea urged the Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs, along with relevant judicial and security agencies, to take swift action with the Syrian government to extradite the suspects. 

"The least they can do is initiate procedures to retrieve these wanted individuals. We are waiting," he added.