A banner in homage to Rafic Hariri in downtown Beirut, February 14, 2025. Photo Mohammad Yassine/L'OLJ
BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday honored the memory of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on the 20th anniversary of his assassination, calling him a "great national figure" and a "true statesman."
"On this 20th anniversary of the assassination of Rafik Hariri, we remember alongside the Lebanese this great national figure who played a major role in Lebanon's return to the world stage through his constant presence and international relations," Aoun said. He credited Hariri with spearheading Lebanon’s post-Civil War reconstruction and described his political stances as "a cornerstone in consolidating national unity, protecting civil peace and implementing the Taif Agreement," the 1989 accord that ended Lebanon’s 15-year Civil War.
Lebanon 'again on the path of renewal'
Aoun said Hariri’s absence was especially felt today "as Lebanon is once again on the path of renewal" after months of devastating and deadly war with Israel. He ended his tribute by quoting Hariri: "No one is greater than their country."
Hariri was killed on Feb. 14, 2005, in a Beirut bombing involving a 1,000 kg TNT charge. His assassination marked a turning point in Lebanon, widely attributed to the Syrian regime, which had occupied the country since 1990. Weeks of mass protests forced Syria’s withdrawal in April 2005. A U.N.-backed tribunal later convicted a Hezbollah operative — an ally of Damascus — in the attack, though he was never apprehended.
This year’s commemoration comes at a time of shifting regional dynamics. Hezbollah’s influence has weakened following its months-long war with Israel, which killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024. Meanwhile, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on Dec. 8, 2024.
'No stability in impunity,' writes Salam
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute at Hariri’s mausoleum alongside several government ministers. On X, he wrote: "On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the martyrdom of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the lesson to be learned is that there is no stability or security in impunity ... Today, we recall the legacy of the great martyr who served Lebanon, preserved its national unity, and worked for its prosperity. He loved the Lebanese people, and they loved him, and he was highly respected in the Arab world and beyond, leaving Lebanon with a remarkable moral and political asset."
For his part, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said, "The country needs a project of unity, partnership and moderation."
Hariri's legacy 'lives through Saad'
Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh wrote on X that "Lebanon today lacks politicians, and on the 20th anniversary" of Hariri’s assassination, "we mourn Rafik Hariri, a national figure, a moderate and a man of dialogue." He added that Hariri’s legacy lives on "through Saad Hariri," in whom he places his "hope."
MP Michel Moawad described Hariri as a unifying figure whose assassination "united ... Lebanese, Muslims and Christians, together in revolt against Syrian occupation and policies of tutelage, domination and suppression, demanding sovereignty, truth, justice." He vowed: "We will not rest until we have built for all Lebanese a country of freedom, democracy, partnership, justice and openness, protected by a sovereign state that has a monopoly on arms throughout its territory, a state of law, institutions, citizenship and human dignity."
Progressive Socialist Party leader Taymour Joumblatt also visited Hariri’s grave with a delegation of Druze officials, including Marwan Hamadeh, Akram Shehayeb, Hadi Abou al-Hosn, Wael Bou Faour, Raji Saad, and Faysal Sayegh.