Body of Assassinated Former Iraqi MP Al-Alwani Repatriated from Beirut
The body of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani was repatriated to Baghdad from Beirut as Lebanon investigates his assassination. Al-Alwani, a prominent Sunni politician recently freed from prison, was found dead in a Beirut apartment.
The body of former Iraqi Member of Parliament Ahmed al-Alwani was flown this morning, Saturday, from Beirut to Baghdad aboard a private aircraft, as Lebanese authorities continue their investigation into his assassination and efforts to locate two suspects who reportedly fled to Syria.
According to reports citing the Iraqi ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammed Reda al-Husseini, the plane took off at 09:05 accompanied by members of the politician's family. The Iraqi embassy received the body from Lebanese authorities following DNA confirmation matching a sample provided by his son. All necessary legal, security, and consular procedures have been completed, and the family is set to receive a copy of the Lebanese forensic medical report.
Simultaneously, uncertainty surrounds the status of the two primary suspects. Al-Hadath channel reported that Lebanon has identified two Syrian nationals and requested Damascus to arrest and extradite them. However, LBCI network and Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that authorities are still seeking assistance in identifying them, having forwarded photos and phone numbers to Syria, with no official confirmation of arrest or extradition.
The case unfolded after al-Alwani arrived in Beirut from Erbil on November 5. According to Saad Maan, head of Iraq's security information directorate, he stayed at a hotel near the Raouche area but left within an hour with individuals he introduced as friends. Hotel staff noted the men spoke with a Syrian accent and departed in a white SUV. Al-Alwani contacted his family twice—lastly from an apartment in the Tariq al-Jadida neighborhood of Beirut—before communications ceased. His body was subsequently discovered in the apartment after the landlord noticed a suspicious odor and alerted police. The Lebanese landlord was detained for questioning as a precautionary measure due to lacking tenant identification documents.
Medical examiners are still verifying the exact cause of death. Although initial reports suggested suffocation, LBCI indicated that this hypothesis remains under review. Al-Alwani was a prominent Sunni politician from the western Anbar province and a former lawmaker for the Al-Iraqiya list. He was known as a fierce opponent of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and supported the 2013 Sunni protests. Arrested in December 2013 during a deadly raid on his Ramadi home, he was sentenced to death in 2014 over the killing of two soldiers. He was released in April 2025 after serving over 11 years in prison under an amnesty law and following a settlement with victims' families. Investigators have not yet established a definitive motive or responsible parties behind his murder.
