With these words, Fadi Khoury, cousin of freed prisoner Claude Hanna Khoury, encapsulates forty years of waiting, faith, and fluctuating hope: “He was issued a death certificate, but his family did not believe that he had died. His mother remained convinced that he was alive. We never held a funeral for him; instead, we prayed for his release and never lost hope. His mother, along with his father and brothers, passed away waiting to meet him. In the moment of his liberation, it became clear that he might still be alive. Their faith in his survival was not just hope—it was a deep, sincere belief that was ultimately fulfilled.”
Claude Hanna Khoury, a soldier in the Lebanese army, disappeared forty years ago. His image remained at home, frozen in time, and his memory lived on in the hearts of his family. Today, he has returned as an elderly, thin, and sick man, a shadow of the young soldier he once was. Yet, the features that remain suggest it is indeed Claude, finally reunited with his family.
For four decades, the Khoury family—and many others—waited for news. This was not just a waiting game of passing time but a deep, ongoing struggle against the Assad regime’s criminality, which was steeped in arbitrariness. It was also a result of the Lebanese authorities’ inaction, who believed the propaganda of the Syrian regime, which for years denied it held Lebanese detainees or had forcibly disappeared them.
Between Friday, December 6, and Sunday, December 8, the Lebanese street held its breath, awaiting the outcome of events in Syria. Hundreds of Lebanese families still hold onto cautious hope, waiting to learn the fate of their sons, who have been missing in Syrian prisons for four decades. These young men, abducted from various Lebanese regions, particularly from the north and northern Bekaa, were among those whose fates remained shrouded in uncertainty.
In the Bekaa town of Deir al-Ahmar, church bells rang in celebration at the possibility of returning sons who had been absent for decades. Ten names have surfaced, according to sources within the Lebanese Forces party, which is now closely monitoring the issue of the released detainees. The names are: Hanna Kayrouz, Mufid Habashi, Tony al-Kozah, Tawfiq Saadeh, Nabih Ishaq, Riad Geagea, Massoud Rahma, Elias Khattar Rahma, Jean-Claude al-Khoury, and Tanous Shahadi Rahma.
However, Jean Fakhri, head of the Union of Deir al-Ahmar Municipalities, told Al-Modon that, “so far, there is no confirmed information. The current list is inaccurate, and it contains names of people over the age of 120, indicating significant errors. As of now, we only have one confirmed name, which is Claude Hanna Khoury. Even then, his name has yet to be officially confirmed.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
