Former Iraqi lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani found dead in Beirut

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkIraqis watch television in Baghdad on December 28, 2013 as the arrest of Sunni Parliament Member Ahmed al-Alwani at his home in Ramadi, west of the capital, is announced [File: Sabah Arar/ AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and APPublished On 11 Nov 202611 Nov 2026Former Iraqi lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani has been found dead in an apartment in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, according to a security source, prompting a “murder” investigation.The source, who spoke to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, did not disclose how al-Alwani had died.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iraq’s al-Zaidi talks to Trump as Baghdad seeks to stay out of war on Iranlist 2 of 3External parties using Iraq to launch attacks on neighbours: Iraqi FMlist 3 of 3Drone attack suspends production at Iraq’s Khor Mor gasfieldend of listThe official National News Agency described al-Awani’s death as a “murder” and said authorities in Lebanon have launched an investigation.It said al-Alwani’s body was found in an apartment in the Tariq Al-Jadeeda neighbourhood of Beirut on Monday.According to NNA, Judge Ahmed Rami al-Hajj will oversee the investigation by Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces.In a statement on X, al-Alwani’s office called the former lawmaker’s death an “assassination” and a “treacherous crime”.It called for an investigation and accountability for the perpetrators.“This is not a passing incident to be brushed aside with condolences and condemnation,” it 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. Whoever is behind it, no one is above accountability.”A Lebanese judicial source, meanwhile, told the AFP news agency that preliminary findings indicate al-Alwani was strangled to death and that a Lebanese national suspected of involvement has been arrested.The official said authorities are looking for two Syrian suspects still at large. He added that the suspects had taken al-Alwani from the airport to his hotel when he arrived in Beirut last week.A Sunni politician, al-Alwani formerly 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.He was arrested in December 2013 during a security raid on his home in Ramadi, during which his brother and several others were killed.Al-Alwani 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 detention.Iraq’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Reda al-Husseini said the embassy was following the case closely.He said the embassy is awaiting the final report from the Lebanese security agencies to “disclose the circumstances of the crime”.