The chamber of the Court of Cassation responsible for requests to dismiss magistrates, presided over by Randa Kfoury, decided last month to transfer the case of the assassination of writer and political activist Lokman Slim from Beirut Investigating Judge Bilal Halaoui to another judge, a judicial source told L'Orient Today.

This decision, issued shortly before Judge Kfoury’s retirement on March 27, is expected to allow the case to be reopened. In February, just days before the fourth anniversary of Lokman Slim’s assassination, Judge Halaoui had issued an indictment stating he was unable to identify the killers, sparking an outcry in Lebanon. According to the judge, the security services "were unable to reveal the perpetrator’s identity due to a lack of data."

Appeal on behalf of Slim’s family

The Cassation Chamber, which also includes Judge Samih Sfeir and Judge Fadi Aridi, examined the case following an appeal filed on Nov. 26, 2024, by lawyers Diala Shehadeh and Moussa Khoury on behalf of the victim’s family. The ruling of the Court of Cassation decreed that the case must be transferred to another magistrate, who is to be appointed by the acting president of the Beirut Court of Appeal. Judge Habib Rizkallah currently holds that position on an interim basis.

As the judiciary is about to undergo judicial reshuffling, it is not yet clear whether Rizkallah will make the appointment himself or if his successor will handle it. The magistrate could not be immediately reached for comment.

Lokman Slim, known for his opposition to Hezbollah, was shot dead in southern Lebanon in February 2021. He was one of the rare critical voices against the party within his community. Before his assassination, Slim had repeatedly stated that he had received threats from Hezbollah.

At the fourth commemoration of the assassination, Lokman Slim’s family denounced the suspension of the investigation. In 2023, UN special rapporteurs had already criticized the slow pace of the proceedings.