In the 1990s, under Syrian tutelage, وثيقة الاتصال began as secret memos — names whispered through radios, typed in lists, passed without court approval. They were not laws, but orders. After 2005, when Syrian troops withdrew, Lebanese agencies inherited them. Instead of ending, they became entrenched.
On Feb 14, 2005, the assassination of PM Rafic Hariri shook Lebanon, sparking the “Independence Uprising.” Under heavy pressure, Syria withdrew its last soldier on Apr 26, ending 29 years of presence. Yet its security legacy endured through “communication documents”—lists used to detain without warrants.
After Lebanon’s 2008 political escalation and the armed takeover of Beirut on May 7, violence spread to Tripoli. Clashes broke out between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh amid sharp divisions over Hezbollah’s behavior and the two neighborhoods’ opposing stances toward the Syrian regime.
After 2011, “contact documents” became a key tool against Lebanese, especially in Tripoli, accused of aiding the opposition. Rights lawyer Mohamad Sablouh called them a breach of judicial authority, turning security agencies into “black rooms” controlling lives without due process.
In 2014, Lebanon’s government launched a security plan in Tripoli to end years of clashes. While it restored order, it produced over 11,000 “303 Contact Reports” based on intelligence, not court rulings. These files imposed travel bans and arrests, turning security agencies into shadow courts.
The decision to cancel the “Wathiqat Ittisal” (303 Contact Reports) was issued by Tammam Salam’s government in July 2014. Yet, in practice, security bodies continued to operate under the 303 framework despite the formal cancellation
On June 20, 2025, PM Nawaf Salam ordered suspending all security blacklists, including the “303” files, requiring judicial warrants for arrests. Yet security agencies resisted under political intervention, undermining civilian authority and stalling the second official cancellation.
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