The final hours of Ahmad al Alwani: Surveillance footage reveals new...

4^min

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Lebanese security forces are investigating the killing of former Iraqi lawmaker Ahmad al-Alwani, who was found strangled in an apartment in Beirut's Tariq al-Jadideh neighborhood, as surveillance footage provides new details about the movements of two unidentified suspects.

Sources told LBCI that the two men arrived on Afif al-Tibi Street around 4 p.m. Thursday, November 5, wearing casual clothes.

They rented an apartment from a local real estate broker from the Shbaro family, claiming it was for a newlywed couple staying eight nights. The agreed rate was $100 per night, and the men paid for the first two nights.
At approximately 8 p.m. that evening, the suspects returned to the building accompanied by al-Alwani, who had arrived from Erbil.

Investigators believe the two men may have picked him up from the airport, as they had changed into formal attire.

Surveillance footage obtained by LBCI shows al-Alwani entering the building voluntarily with the two men.

The footage also shows a fourth person, later identified as a taxi driver who helped carry their belongings, including food and luggage.

Four hours later, around midnight, the two suspects were recorded leaving the building. They had changed back into casual clothes and were carrying bags believed to contain their formal suits.

Based on this timeline, investigators suspect al-Alwani was strangled during those four hours.
A search of the apartment revealed additional evidence.

Security sources told LBCI that al-Alwani's suitcase was found on a bed in the bedroom, while his clothes, including two formal suits and a white traditional robe, were hanging nearby.

Al-Alwani had changed from his formal attire into sportswear before his death. His body was discovered near the bathroom door, where he had apparently been strangled with a curtain cord.

Investigators also found black hair on the floor, believed to possibly belong to one of the attackers, raising suspicions that al-Alwani may have resisted during the assault.

Although the suspected killing occurred Thursday, the body was not discovered until Monday.

The real estate broker had visited the apartment Saturday and Sunday to collect the remaining rental payment, but no one answered the door.

When he returned Monday, he gained access to the 12th-floor apartment by climbing down from the floor above, where he discovered the body, whose facial features were difficult to recognize.

Security forces were immediately notified, and the Internal Security Forces' Information Branch launched an investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation.

The two suspects have not yet been identified, despite their faces being clearly visible in surveillance footage.

The phone numbers they used to communicate with the broker have since been disconnected. According to the broker's testimony, both men spoke with non-Lebanese accents.

A delegation from the Iraqi Embassy identified al-Alwani's body at a hospital in Zahle.

Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reda al-Husseini, confirmed that the embassy is closely following the Lebanese investigation to identify those responsible and is working to expedite DNA testing before receiving the body and transferring it to Baghdad.

As the investigation continues, authorities are seeking answers to several questions, including why al-Alwani traveled to Lebanon and whether he knew the two men who accompanied him.

Investigators are also examining whether al-Alwani had asked the suspects to rent the apartment or whether they lured him there under the pretext of arranging accommodation.

The motive remains unclear, with investigators considering several possibilities, including robbery, personal disputes or political motives.