Lebanese authorities have asked Syria to hand over two Syrian nationals suspected of involvement in the killing of former Iraqi parliamentarian Ahmed al-Alwani, whose body was found in a Beirut apartment earlier this week, according to judicial and security sources. The case has drawn attention because al-Alwani was a prominent Sunni politician and critic of Iranian influence in Iraq, and because investigators are still trying to establish who killed him and why. Lebanon’s top prosecutor is overseeing the inquiry, while Iraqi officials say they are following developments closely.
Key Takeaways: Al-Alwani was found dead on Tuesday evening in an apartment in Beirut’s Tariq al-Jdideh neighbourhood; preliminary findings indicate he was strangled, according to a Lebanese judicial source cited by AFP. Investigators have asked Damascus to arrest and hand over two Syrian suspects, while a Lebanese national is being interrogated. Al-Alwani had arrived in Beirut from Erbil on November 5 and left his hotel less than an hour after checking in, according to Iraqi security officials.
The killing has focused attention on Lebanon’s security and judicial apparatus at a time when the country is navigating fragile political and regional pressures. Al-Alwani, who represented Anbar province in Iraq’s parliament, rose to prominence during 2012-2013 protests against then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, which critics accused of sectarian policies marginalising Sunnis. He was arrested in a December 2013 raid on his Ramadi home, sentenced to death in 2014 on “terrorism” charges, and released in April 2025 under Iraq’s General Amnesty Law after more than a decade in prison. His history made him a polarising but well-known figure in Iraqi politics.
According to Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, al-Alwani flew from Erbil to Beirut on a Middle East Airlines flight on the evening of November 5 and was driven to a hotel. He left less than an hour later, telling reception staff he was leaving with friends; hotel staff said those accompanying him spoke with a Syrian accent. He reportedly left in a white Range Rover and made two calls to relatives in Iraq before contact was lost. Lebanon’s National News Agency said Judge Ahmed Rami al-Hajj is personally overseeing the investigation, conducted by the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces. In a separate case, the same branch is investigating five Hezbollah members arrested in the Batroun highlands, according to the public prosecutor’s media office.
Iraqi President Nizar Amedi called for a swift investigation after meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Turkiye on Wednesday, according to the article. Iraq’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammed Reda al-Husseini, said the embassy is awaiting the final report from Lebanese security agencies to clarify the circumstances of the crime. Investigators are also examining a possible financial motive, sources told AFP, though no final conclusion has been made public. The coming days are likely to focus on the identities of the two Syrian suspects, the results of interrogations and whether Beirut and Damascus formalise a handover request.
Source: www.aljazeera.com