Former Iraqi parliament member Ahmed al-Alwani has been found dead in an apartment in Beirut, Lebanon, triggering a formal murder investigation by local authorities. The discovery took place in the Tariq Al-Jadeeda neighborhood of the Lebanese capital on Monday, as reported by the official National News Agency.
A security source speaking to Al Jazeera on Tuesday confirmed the death but did not provide immediate details on the cause. The National News Agency described the incident as a murder and stated that Judge Ahmed Rami al-Hajj has been assigned to oversee the inquiry. The investigation is being conducted by Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces.
In a statement posted on X, al-Alwani’s office characterized the death as an assassination and a treacherous crime. The office demanded a firm official response and a transparent investigation to identify the planners and executors of the act. They emphasized that the case should not be dismissed as a passing incident and that no one involved should be above accountability.
Preliminary findings from a Lebanese judicial source told the AFP news agency that al-Alwani was strangled to death. According to the source, one Lebanese national suspected of involvement has already been arrested. Authorities are currently searching for two Syrian suspects who remain at large.
The judicial source added that the suspects had met al-Alwani at the airport and transported him to his hotel following his arrival in Beirut last week. This timeline suggests the individuals were involved in his movements within the city prior to his death.
Al-Alwani was a prominent Sunni politician who previously represented the western province of Anbar in Iraq’s parliament. He gained widespread recognition during the 2012 and 2013 protests against the government of then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who led a Shia-dominated administration.
His political career was interrupted in December 2013 when he was arrested during a security raid on his home in Ramadi. During that raid, his brother and several others were killed. He was subsequently sentenced to death in 2014 on terrorism charges.
After spending more than a decade in detention, al-Alwani was released in April 2025 under Iraq’s General Amnesty Law. His return to public life had been marked by renewed attention on his political stance and his role in previous opposition movements.
Iraq’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammed Reda al-Husseini, stated that the embassy is closely following the developments of the case. He indicated that the embassy is awaiting the final report from Lebanese security agencies to fully disclose the circumstances surrounding the crime.
The investigation continues as Lebanese authorities work to determine the exact sequence of events and the motives behind the killing of the former lawmaker.
