Lebanon: Lokman Slim, activist and intellectual critical of Hezbollah, found dead
Lebanese intellectual and activist Lokman Slim was shot dead.
REUTERS - REUTERS TV
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In Lebanon, an activist and intellectual Lokman Slim, known for his critical positions towards Hezbollah, was found dead Thursday, shot four times in the head, in the south of the country, according to a Lebanese security source.
His body was found in his car hours after news of his disappearance was announced.
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From our correspondent in Beirut
,
Paul Khalifeh
Lokman Slim comes from a large Shia family originally from the southern suburbs of Beirut, the stronghold of
Hezbollah
, where he lived and worked.
Fiercely hostile to the pro-Iranian party, he has devoted his fight over the past three decades to promoting secular values, especially within his community, where Hezbollah remains very popular.
He also worked on memory issues and on the issue of the missing after the Lebanese civil war, through an association he founded.
Threat
His wife and sister reported his disappearance on Wednesday as he returned to Beirut from South Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
His body was found on Thursday.
In a press statement, his sister linked his disappearance to his political views.
In the past, Lokman Slim has said on several occasions that he has received threats for his activism in the strongholds of the pro-Iranian party.
More pragmatism
The death of the Shiite intellectual comes as France asked the United States to adopt a more "
pragmatic
" position vis-à-vis Hezbollah in order to unblock the political situation in Lebanon.
Donald Trump's administration had opted for
“
maximum pressure
”
against the Shiite party, whose leaders, executives and institutions have been sanctioned and placed on the American terrorist list.
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