Family of Luqman Salim, the murdered Lebanese intellectual, accuses the judge of halting investigations

The family of Luqman Salim, the murdered Lebanese intellectual who was a staunch critic of Hezbollah, condemned the judge's decision to close the murder case after four years. The body of 58-year-old Salim, a secular activist born into a Shia family, was found in his private car on February 4, 2021. His family claims that Hezbollah had repeatedly threatened Luqman Salim. Monika Burgman, the German widow of Luqman Salim, said on Sunday, February 14, at his memorial ceremony: 'This is his fourth anniversary, and justice has not only not been served, but everything has been the opposite.' She accused the investigating judge, who took over the case after the previous judge's retirement, of having 'very close ties to Hezbollah.' Ms. Burgman added: 'We requested twice for the case to be taken out of his hands. When he became aware of our request, he ordered the investigations to be suspended indefinitely.' A Lebanese judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Agence France-Presse, stated that the investigating judge had done everything he could regarding this case but ended the investigation without identifying the killers. He added that if new information comes to light, the case could be reopened. Previously, UN special rapporteurs criticized the 'slow progress' of the investigation into Luqman Salim's assassination. Four UN human rights experts issued a statement in Bahman 1401, stating: 'Two years after Mr. Salim's murder, no one has been identified as responsible for his killing, and there is little likelihood that the ongoing investigations will be successful in the near future.' Luqman Salim was a writer, intellectual, publisher, and director of the NGO 'Umam, for Research and Documentation,' known for his outspoken criticism against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.