A prominent Lebanese writer and strident opponent of Hezbollah was found dead in his car in southern Lebanon on Thursday morning, hours after he went missing while driving to Beirut.
Police said Lokman Slim, 59, a well-known political commentator, had been shot in the head. He was an outspoken critic of the militant group and political superpower that had regularly drawn the ire of his followers.
Jawad Nasrallah, son of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, tweeted minutes after his death was confirmed, “The loss of some people is in fact an unplanned gain #notsorry.” He later deleted the message, claiming that he had not referred to Slim.
The murder of yet another critical voice in Lebanon has once again sparked anger at a political class that is powerless or unwilling to hold murderers to account. In recent decades, murders have been routinely used as political weapons, and almost all of them have gone unsolved and the impunity surrounding them has become a fact of Lebanese life.
Murders of Lebanese public intellectuals have been relatively rare, however, with the murder of Slim, the first of its kind since the murder of history professor and journalist Samir Kassir 16 years ago.
“He was loved, he was humble and people loved him,” said Slim’s sister, Rasha Slim. His opponents have lost a noble warrior who lived among them, and discussed them with intelligence, reason and love. This is a loss for all of Lebanon. Murder is an unworthy act, it sets an example to the work that we kill those who disagree with us. Murder is their only language; we know who is in charge of the area where my brother was murdered. “
In recent months, Slim had told friends and visitors to his home and studio in the southern suburbs of Beirut that his enemies had threatened him. His office was located in the heart of the Hezbollah stronghold Dahiyeh, from where he spoke regularly against the group and its views. Hezbollah labeled him a Shia Muslim who had turned against the group. Two years ago, Hassan described Nasrallah Slim as a “Shia of the embassies,” referring to his close contacts with foreign diplomats.
Slim had also taken a prominent role in the anti-government demonstrations that rolled through Lebanon from October 2019, setting up a tent in central Beirut, ranting against the country’s leadership and government system and advocating neutrality with neighboring Israel. , with which Lebanon technically remains at war.
He maintained a non-profit organization, Umam, which acted as a cultural exhibition and historical archive of the disappeared persons during the Lebanese Civil War. He also had a citizen group called Hayya Bina and has made several films with his wife, Monika Borgmann.
Slim’s death prompted some Lebanese leaders to warn of a further descent into lawlessness as the country grapples with a devastating economic collapse, political deadlock and the aftermath of the devastating explosion that razed to the ground last August.
Six months after the explosion, investigations have stalled, with large sections of the political establishment rallying against the investigation and feeling uncomfortable with continued scrutiny. “If they want to talk about impunity, start with that shame,” said Joseph Hammad, a delivery man. “They locked up harbor guards and protected the politicians who caused it.”
Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “The Lebanese authorities have publicly promised that the investigation into the explosion that killed more than 200 people and destroyed half the city would take five days, but it is waiting six months later. audience still for answers.
In addition, the court hearing the case appears to have reproached the rights of the detained suspects, indicating that it is unable or unwilling to adjudicate.