The Secretary-General of the Future Movement and nephew of Rafic Hariri, Ahmad Hariri (right), at a party event in Minieh, North Lebanon, on Feb. 9, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
The secretary-general of the Future Movement, Ahmad Hariri, called for a "massive" participation in the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the assassination of his uncle Rafic Hariri, who was killed in a car bombing in Beirut on Feb. 14, 2005. The ceremony is set to take place on Friday at the mausoleum of the Mohammad Al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut.
He spoke on the sidelines of a tour in Minieh, north of Tripoli, where he met with Ahmad Kheir, a Sunni MP of the National Moderation bloc, as well as other local actors in political, social and religious fields, according to a statement cited by the state-run National News Agency (NNA). Ahmad Hariri emphasized on this occasion "the importance of national unity and mutual cooperation among all currents in the region." He said that a strong participation in the ceremony would provide "additional support to the national message carried by Rafic Hariri." He also hoped that this anniversary "will be a platform for national reconciliation and state reconstruction."
Islamist prisoners
The secretary-general of the Future Movement also stated the issue of the amnesty of Islamist detainees in Lebanese prisons to be "thorny," and it should be a priority for the mandate of President Joseph Aoun, "to render justice to them and lift the injustice that has been inflicted upon them."
This matter has resurfaced following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, and the takeover of power in Damascus by a coalition of Islamist rebels led by the group Hay;at Tahrir al-Sham, which has since been dissolved. A week ago, the Future Movement called on its supporters not to join gatherings ahead of the large march planned for Feb. 14.
Ahmad Hariri's speech contrasted with the attacks launched on Sunday by another Sunni MP from the National Moderation bloc, Walid Baarini, who once again criticized Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Following the government's formation, the elected official chastised the former judge of the International Court of Justice for not including ministers representing Akkar and members of his parliamentary group.
The son of Rafic Hariri, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, lives outside Lebanon and officially suspended all political activity in 2022. Earlier this month, Ahmad Hariri urged his supporters to "prepare" for the 2026 legislative elections, mentioning a vote that he said should mark a "key step" for the Future Movement's return to politics.