Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
Pascal Sleiman, head of the Christian Lebanese Forces' Jbeil district office, was kidnapped and killed by a gang of Syrian car thieves on April 7. He died after being hit on the head and chest by the criminals, who then stuffed him into the car's truck, and later dumped him in a border area in Syria.
According to the Lebanese army, the politician and head of management information systems at Byblos Bank was the victim of a carjacking by a criminal gang, who have been arrested.
"Following up on the case of Pascal Sleiman, who was kidnapped, the army intelligence directorate was able to arrest most Syrian gang members involved in the kidnapping," the Lebanese army announced in a statement on X.
The army added, "During their investigation, it became clear that the kidnapped person was killed by them while they were trying to steal his car in the Jbeil area, and that they transported his body to Syria. The Army Command coordinates with the Syrian authorities to hand over the body, and investigations are completed under the supervision of the Cassation Public Prosecution."
A Lebanese judicial official said security forces had arrested seven Syrians on suspicion of involvement in Sleiman's killing. The kidnappers admitted that their goal was stealing the victim's car. A military official said Damascus had handed over three suspects.
However, in Lebanon's fractured political landscape, there are several interpretations to the story, depending on what political party you are affiliated with, and even depending on what religious sect you have been born into.
Because Sleiman was an official within a political party in Lebanon, many first jumped to the conclusion it was a political kidnapping and murder, of which Lebanon is famous. This baseless rumor has raised tensions in Lebanon and on Monday evening, hundreds of people blocked roads in Byblos, while videos circulated on social media of violence against Syrians.
The Lebanese Forces (LF) is a right-wing Christian political party headed by Samir Geagea, who was a militia commander during the Lebanese civil war 1975-1990. Geagea was the only war-lord to be imprisoned following the war, and was released in 2005.
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