Hariri was appointed to Nicosia as Syrian chargée d'affaires in November 2010.[4][5] Her defection was reported by Al Jazeera on 24 July 2012.[6] Two members of the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) confirmed her defection on 25 July 2012.[7] Al Arabiya reported that she joined the opposition. She reportedly went to Qatar and she is still there.[1] On 25 July 2012, her husband Abdelatif al-Dabbagh, former Syrian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, also defected to Qatar and joined his wife, Lamia al Hariri.[3] His defection was also confirmed by SNC spokesman Mohammad Sarmini.[8]
On 26 July 2012, SANA issued a statement of Syria Foreign Ministry, stating that Lamia al Hariri was not an ambassador, but a diplomat working at the Syrian Embassy in Cyprus and that her mission was to manage the Embassy's affairs until an ambassador or charge d'affaires is appointed.[9]
Her defection was significant, since it was the second defection of a Syrian diplomat in July 2012 after that of Nawaf al Fares.[10]