Lebanese authorities re-arrested former central bank governor Riad Salameh at a hospital on Friday, following a new warrant from the Court of Cassation's Public Prosecutor, according to reports. Salameh, who stepped down in 2023 after a 30-year tenure widely blamed for Lebanon's economic collapse, faces imminent judicial questioning. He is already under US, UK, and Canadian sanctions over allegations of embezzling over $300 million from state coffers.
Former central bank governor Riad Salameh was re-arrested Friday evening at a hospital in Beirut, hours after a new warrant was issued by the Court of Cassation's Public Prosecutor, according to reports. Salameh had been released earlier under a previous arrest warrant but was taken into custody again at the medical facility.
The re-arrest underscores the ongoing legal pressure on Salameh, who served as governor from 1993 to 2023. His tenure has been widely criticized for policies that contributed to Lebanon's devastating economic crisis, which began in 2019. In 2023, the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada imposed sanctions on him, alleging he embezzled at least $300 million from the central bank.
The case is part of a broader push by Lebanese authorities to pursue high-profile corruption cases, even as the country remains politically fractured. The Lebanese government, under Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has been seeking to assert state authority over powerful factions, including Hezbollah, which has long been accused of undermining state institutions. As The Zioneer has reported, the US has levied sanctions against Hezbollah-allied officials and called for the group's disarmament.
The new arrest warrant also comes amid a period of shifting diplomatic dynamics in Lebanon, with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Salam publicly distancing themselves from Iran and Hezbollah. The outcome of Salameh's legal proceedings will be closely watched as a test of the judiciary's independence.
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