Former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani Found Strangled in Beirut

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BEIRUT: Former Iraqi lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani has been found strangled to death in an apartment in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, prompting an investigation into what authorities suspect was a planned killing.

His body was discovered on Monday night in the Tariq al-Jadideh neighbourhood, with Lebanese judicial officials confirming his identity on Tuesday. Preliminary findings indicated that he had been struck on the head before being strangled, according to officials cited by the AFP news agency.

A Lebanese national suspected of involvement in the killing has been arrested, while security forces are searching for two Syrian nationals believed to have played a role in the crime.

The suspects reportedly met al-Alwani when he arrived in Beirut from Iraq last week and accompanied him from the airport. Lebanese authorities are also examining the circumstances surrounding his movements before he was found dead.

Lebanon’s Public Prosecutor, Judge Ahmed Rami al-Hajj, is directly supervising the investigation, which is being conducted by the Information Branch of the country’s Internal Security Forces.

Al-Alwani’s office described his death as a premeditated killing carried out through deception and called for a transparent investigation to identify those who planned and executed the crime, as well as anyone else involved.

Iraq’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammed Reda al-Husseini, said the embassy was closely following the case and awaiting the final findings from Lebanese security agencies.

Al-Alwani was a prominent Sunni politician who represented Iraq’s western Anbar province in parliament. He rose to national prominence during protests in 2012 and 2013 against the government of then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The demonstrations, largely concentrated in Sunni-majority areas, accused the Shiite-led government of marginalising the Sunni community and pursuing sectarian policies.

Al-Alwani was also a vocal critic of Iran’s influence in Iraq and the activities of Iran-backed armed groups.

His political career was disrupted in December 2013 when Iraqi security forces raided his home in Ramadi to arrest him on terrorism-related charges. His brother and several other people were killed during the operation.

He was sentenced to death in 2014 and spent more than a decade in detention before being released on April 23, 2025. The Inter-Parliamentary Union, which had campaigned for his release, described his release as an acquittal following prolonged detention.

His killing in Beirut has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his final days in Lebanon, with investigators yet to establish a motive or identify all those responsible.