Ramzi Irani

Ramzi Irani (1976 - May 2002) born in Lebanon was a well known Lebanese Forces student representative at Lebanese University in Beirut. He was abducted and later found dead in 2002, following a series of events marking the eighth anniversary of the imprisonment of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Background

Mr. Irani was a well known outspoken critic of the Syrian-occupied government in Lebanon. He had defeated Pro-Syrian and the Hezbollah groups in the student elections which fueled anger against him. In 2000, Lebanese authorities briefly arrested Mr. Irani and he was released a short while later with broken hips. After being released, Mr. Irani organized peaceful protests against the Syrian-occupied government of Lebanon and faced continuous harassment from Lebanese authorities.

Abduction and murder

On May 7th, 2002, Mr. Irani was walking down the popular Hamra Street on his way to celebrate the birthday of his 5-year old daughter, Yasmina when he was kidnapped without a trace. His lack of resistance suggested that he knew who his kidnappers were.

Mr. Irani's rotting corpse was found on May 21st in the back of his car. The official cause of death was a bullet piercing to the heart. An Internet news service, Al Qanat, revealed they had received a report saying that Mr. Irani had been murdered because they feared he would speak out about his abductors and that it would have created a, "big political crisis."

Ramzi Irani's murder is still a cold case like many other brutal assassinations which have occurred against opponents of the Syrian regimes illegal presence in Lebanon during the recent years. Many people in Lebanon point the finger at Syria and their agents inside Lebanon.

See Also

• Lebanese Forces

External Links

• The Kidnapping and Assassination of Ramzi Irani
• In Memory of Ramzi Irani