Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces party, highlighted on Thursday that the full truth behind the assassination of LF coordinator in Jbeil, Pascal Sleiman, has not yet come to light. He noted in a statement that while five individuals are detained by the Intelligence Directorate of the Lebanese Army, the gang leader Zakaria Dhafer Qassem and one of the key figures, Firas Riad Mimo, remain in the custody of the Syrian authorities, who refuse to hand them over to the Lebanese authorities.
Geagea questioned the Caretaker Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs on why the Syrian authorities are refusing to extradite Zakaria and Mimo, both of whom are connected to Sleiman’s assassination and are wanted by the Lebanese judiciary. He emphasized that their arrest is crucial for uncovering the motives behind the assassination and identifying those responsible.
In Geagea’s opinion, at the very least, the Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs, along with the relevant judicial and security bodies, should take swift measures with the Syrian government to secure the extradition of these two wanted individuals.
Sleiman was abducted and killed in an alledged car theft gone wrong on April 8.
