In a shocking turn of events, former Iraqi lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani was found dead in an apartment in Beirut's Tariq al-Jdideh neighborhood. Lebanese authorities have launched a murder investigation into the death, with preliminary findings suggesting that al-Alwani may have been strangled. A Lebanese national suspected of involvement has been arrested, and two Syrian suspects are still at large, according to a judicial source who spoke to AFP news agency.
Ahmed al-Alwani was a prominent Sunni politician who represented the western province of Anbar in Iraq's parliament. He rose to prominence during the protests of 2012 and 2013 against the Shia-led government of then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whom protesters accused of sectarian policies and marginalizing Sunnis. Al-Alwani was also a vocal critic of Iran's influence in Iraq and Iranian-backed Shia armed groups in the country.
In December 2013, al-Alwani was arrested during a security raid on his home in Ramadi, during which his brother and several others were killed. He was sentenced to death in 2014 on "terrorism" charges but was released in April 2025 under Iraq's General Amnesty Law after more than a decade in prison. The Iraqi embassy in Lebanon is following the case closely, awaiting a final report from Lebanese security agencies to disclose the circumstances of the crime.
Al-Alwani's office called his death an "assassination" and a "treacherous crime," demanding accountability for the perpetrators. The statement emphasized that this was not a passing incident, but a crime that demands a firm official response and a transparent investigation to reveal who planned it, who carried it out, and who else was involved. No one is above accountability, according to the statement.