IPU urges action on eighth anniversary of Lebanese MP’s murder

Geneva, 12 June 2015

Walid Eido (left), pictured in 2005 with fellow politicians Samir Frangieh (centre) and Antoine Haddad, had been a Member of Parliament since 2000 ©AFP PHOTO RAMZI HAIDAR

IPU has renewed its call to the Lebanese authorities to make every effort to bring the killers of Lebanese MP Walid Eido to justice, on the eighth anniversary of his murder.

Walid Eido was killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut on 13 June 2007.  He was one of a number of high-profile figures targeted in a wave of attacks following the killing of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005. Three other MPs - Gibran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel and Antoine Ghanem were also murdered. None of the killers has been caught.

Judicial investigations into the attacks were initiated and the Prosecutor General of Lebanon confirmed in 2011 that they were continuing. Since then, the Lebanese authorities have released no further information, except to state that responsibility for the murder inquiries has passed to the UN-mandated international tribunal investigating the killing of Mr Hariri.

However, the tribunal has never declared that it has jurisdiction over the attacks against Mr Eido or the other MPs, and IPU has stressed that responsibility for solving these crimes therefore continues to lie with the Lebanese authorities. The current situation leaves it unclear whether investigations are still being actively pursued by any party.

IPU remains deeply concerned that the attacks remain unpunished. “The need for swift and decisive action to speed up the pursuit of justice in this case is essential,” said Ann Clwyd, MP and President of IPU’s Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. “Impunity represents a serious threat not only to parliamentarians and those they represent, but also to the parliamentary institution as a whole, as it constitutes a serious deterrent for other parliamentarians wishing to speak out on critical issues. I urge the Lebanese authorities to leave no stone unturned in solving these heinous crimes.”

Ms Clwyd also called on the Lebanese authorities to allow the Committee to conduct a visit to Beirut in the coming months to clarify the status of the proceedings and discuss ways forward.

The Committee, created in 1976, works to address human rights violations of MPs throughout the world, and provides concrete and effective support to those affected.  It is currently working on 289 cases, including 59 murders.

Timeline of Lebanese MP murders
MP Gibran Tueni killed by car bomb                 Dec 2005
MP Pierre Gemayel killed in gun attack             Nov 2006
MP Walid Eido killed by car bomb                    June 2007
MP Antoine Ghanem killed by car bomb            Sept 2007