Lebanese Central Bank Governor Salameh faces international arrest warrant

The issuance of the international arrest warrant against Riad Salameh, the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, constituted a fundamental element in the Lebanese judiciary's actions.

State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat has scheduled a session for Salameh during the middle of this week.

However, Salameh has been informed of the session in which he will be heard and the international arrest warrant. Furthermore, his Lebanese and French passports will be confiscated, and he will be prohibited from traveling and remains subject to investigation.

Thus, the issuance of a warrant is something, and the actual delivery of the required individual is another matter altogether.

After the hearing session, Oueidat will request the file for the recovery of Riad Salameh from the French judiciary.

He will also study the prosecution and charges against the governor, express his results, and submit them to Minister of Justice Henry Khoury. The latter may either decide not to extradite Salameh by a decision signed by the Justice Minister or propose his extradition to the Council of Ministers for a decree to be issued. But this will not happen.

The lead prosecutor and the justice minister have clarified that Lebanon does not extradite its citizens according to Lebanese penal laws.

Moreover, there are no existing treaties between Lebanon and France regarding the extradition of Lebanese citizens.

Additionally, it is not permissible to extradite an individual who is being prosecuted in the Lebanese judicial system.

The maximum action that can be taken is to transfer Salameh's case, along with the charges against him in France, to the relevant judicial authorities in Lebanon for trial if the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Discrimination sees that there are solid accusations.

On another note, Justice Minister Henri Khoury told LBCI that he believes it would be appropriate for Salameh to step down, expressing concerns about the financial situation in Lebanon, especially if other European countries involved in the case follow France's lead.