BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th February, 2021) Luqman Salim, a Lebanese independent political and public figure, was found dead in his car in southern Lebanon after being reported as missing by his family, the LBC broadcaster announced on Thursday, citing a security source.
The body of the dead activist with gunshot wounds was found in the vicinity of the city of Nabatieh. The search for Salim started after his wife tweeted around 2 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT) that he left Beirut Wednesday evening and she could not get in touch with him.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has ordered the prosecutor general to launch an investigation into the matter to learn the circumstances of Salim's murder, Aoun's office said.
"President Aoun has tasked that the Attorney General to take all necessary steps to reveal the circumstances of the murder of activist Salim, and pointed out the importance of promptness to determine the causes of the crime and identities of those who are behind it," the office wrote on Twitter.
Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi, when speaking on the country's MTV broadcaster, called the murder a "terrible" event and stated that he immediately contacted commanders of the security services to conduct a detailed inquiry.
Independent lawmaker Michel Moawad tweeted that Salim's assassination could "return the country to a period of political murders that Lebanon experienced, with the security forces having been unable to reveal the truth."
According to the Lebanon Debate web portal, Salim, an independent political analyst, has been famous for his attitude against Hezbollah, the most influential political movement across the country. The murderer reportedly fired four shots in the activist's head and one in the chest.
Salim held a degree in philosophy at the Sorbonne University in France. In 1990, he founded the Jadeed edition, which published Arabic literature and articles with provocative content.
In 2019, after the outbreak of unrest in Lebanon, the homes of Salim and his relatives located in the southern suburbs of Beirut were subjected to attacks, and he was threatened, according to his media statements.
