Lebanon - October 2025

On 9 October, the Ministry of Justice appointed a total of eleven new investigative judges to handle past cases of political assassinations, signalling a renewed effort to pursue long-standing investigations. Aimed at strengthening the judiciary’s capacity to manage politically sensitive cases, the measure could shape future access to justice, particularly given that dozens of high-profile cases remain unresolved. Many of these cases date back decades and have historically remained unresolved due to weaknesses within the judicial system, political interference and sectarian divisions. The cases pending resolution include the assassinations of MPs Antoine Ghanem (2007) and Gebran Tueni (2005), journalist Samir Kassir (2005), former minister Elie Hobeika (2002), as well as other events such as the Ehden massacre (1978) and the attempted assassination of former President Camille Chamoun (1980) during the Lebanese civil war, among others. Going forward, new procedural steps in these reopened cases could serve as potential indicators of meaningful progress.

Sources: Naharnet, L’Orient Today, LBC International, MTV Lebanon