On the bustling streets of the Lebanese capital, there are rumours Beirut has a few new residents.
The newcomers, albeit temporary ones, are holed up in some of the city's plush hotels.
Lebanese news outlet Nidaa al-Watan has reported members of Bashar al-Assad's regime poured over the Syrian border in the hours before and after rebel forces seized control of the Syrian capital, Damascus, on the weekend.
Aided by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which was a key backer of Assad's ruthless rule, some of the officials are seeking unofficial safe haven in Lebanon — including in five-star accommodation across Beirut.
Among them are individuals accused of being involved in some of the gravest conduct of the regime, who are wanted for crimes in Lebanon.
The reports prompted a swift response from Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati, who said his government abides by Lebanese and international law.
"In clarification of what is being circulated about the entry or transit of some former Syrian officials from Lebanon to other countries, the policy of the Lebanese government has always been to abide by Lebanese and international laws," he said in a statement.
"This approach has been followed throughout the previous period during which Lebanon hosted hundreds of thousands of Syrian brothers."
Who is reported as being in Lebanon?
Nidaa al-Watan has laid out a list of some of the individuals linked to the Assad regime now passing their time in Lebanon.
Among them is Ali Mamlouk, a former intelligence chief.
He is wanted by Lebanese authorities for plotting assassinations, and was convicted in absentia by a French court for his role in the disappearance and torture of two French citizens.
Mamlouk is also accused of having a key role in the development of Syria's chemical weapons program.
One member of the extended Assad family, Ghada Adib Mhanna, is also reported as being in a Beirut hotel.
She is the wife of Bashar al-Assad's uncle, and the mother of one of his key financial advisers.
Firas Issa Shaleesh, the nephew of Assad's cousin — who was head of the presidential security service — was also named in the reporting.
It is not clear which hotels were hosting the individuals.
Another outlet, L'Orient Today, said Beirut's international airport was also used to help shepherd Assad regime members out of the region, as a transit point.
Among them, the wife and son of Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher, and one of the former president's advisers, Bouthaina Shaaban.
The suggestion is that Hezbollah has helped facilitate the situation.
Despite its weakened position in Lebanon, it has had the resources to ensure safe passage and accommodation.
Syria asks countries to hand over fleeing Assad supporters
As the news trickled through, it became clear that many were unhappy with the potential guests being in Beirut.
Under Assad's rule, Syria ran one of the most oppressive police states in the Middle East and rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani warned he would hunt down anyone involved in the torture or killing of detainees during that time.
"We will pursue them in Syria, and we ask countries to hand over those who fled so we can achieve justice," he said in a statement published on the Syrian state TV's Telegram channel.
One of Lebanon's main political parties, the Progressive Socialist Party, has called on its state institutions to do something to prevent it from becoming a refuge for Assad's allies.
"After news of some leaders of the ousted regime in Syria fleeing to Lebanon through legal crossings, or crossing from Lebanon to other countries, the Progressive Socialist Party warns of the danger of turning Lebanon into a safe haven for those responsible for many crimes against Lebanese and Syrians,"?it said.
It said Lebanon should not have to "bear legal and political repercussions" as a result of supporting the individuals.
The suggestion is that Hezbollah should not be doing anything to provoke the international community, particularly so soon after a ceasefire between the group and Israel came into force.
ABC/wires
