Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib in a press conference, June, 20, 2023. (Credit: Nabil Ismail)
BEIRUT — Lebanon's ambassador to France Rami Adwan, who is facing rape and intentional violence allegations, will return to Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said Tuesday.
Adwan is facing an investigation in France following complaints by two former embassy employees. He has diplomatic immunity but could face trial if Lebanon agrees to lift it.
On June 8, Lebanon's foreign ministry said it was recalling Adwan after the investigation was opened.
In a press conference, Bou Habib said that Adwan was suspended from his duties on June 14, and his responsibilities were given to the Chargé d'affaires in France Ziad Taan. He added that the foreign ministry will submit "all the information we received about the case to the Justice Ministry, and let the courts decide whether there was wrongdoing."
Earlier this month, Lebanon sent an investigation team to the embassy in Paris to question the ambassador and hear statements from embassy staff.
One former embassy employee, aged 31, filed a complaint in June 2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador's private apartment, sources close to the investigation told AFP, confirming a report by the Mediapart news site.
According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the ambassador, who carried out "psychological and physical violence with daily humiliations."
A second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February over what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual relations.