Former Iraqi parliamentarian Ahmed al‑Alwani was discovered dead in an apartment in Beirut’s Tariq Al‑Jadeeda neighbourhood on Monday, prompting a murder investigation by Lebanese authorities.
According to a security source speaking to Al Jazeera, the National News Agency (NNA) described the death as a murder and announced that Judge Ahmed Rami al‑Hajj would lead the inquiry with the Internal Security Forces. Preliminary findings from a Lebanese judicial source indicate al‑Alwani was strangled, and a Lebanese national suspected of involvement has already been arrested.
Authorities are also searching for two Syrian suspects who allegedly took al‑Alwani from the airport to his hotel when he arrived in Beirut last week. The suspects remain at large.
Al‑Alwani, a Sunni politician who once represented Anbar province, rose to prominence during the 2012‑2013 protests against the Shia‑led government. He was arrested in December 2013 during a raid on his Ramadi home, where his brother and others were killed, and was sentenced to death in 2014 on terrorism charges. He was released in April 2025 under Iraq’s General Amnesty Law after more than a decade in detention.
In a statement on X, al‑Alwani’s office condemned the death as an assassination and a treacherous crime, calling for a transparent investigation that holds all responsible parties accountable. “This is not a passing incident to be brushed aside with condolences and condemnation,” the office said. “It is a crime that demands a firm official response and a transparent investigation that reveals who planned it, who carried it out and who else was involved.”
Iraq’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammed Reda al‑Husseini, said the embassy is closely monitoring the case and is awaiting the final report from Lebanese security agencies to disclose the circumstances of the crime.
Source: Al Jazeera
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