Lebanon’s Riad Salameh hospitalized as arrest roils Beirut: What to know

BEIRUT — Riad Salameh, Lebanon’s former Central Bank governor who faces allegations of embezzlement, was transferred Monday from Roumieh Prison, north of Beirut, to a nearby hospital amid reports of his deteriorating health.

What happened: On Monday, Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj ordered Salameh transfer to Dahr el-Bachek Hospital for medical examinations including heart and respiratory testing, the state-run National News Agency reported.

However, Salameh, who has been on hunger strike since his arrest on Saturday, refused medical treatment, according to the NNA.

According to LBCI, Hajj ordered that Salameh remain at the hospital until he completes the required tests.

Reports of Salameh’s deteriorating health emerged on Sunday after his attending physician visited him. In a voice note widely circulated on social media, he said Salameh’s condition was worsening as he was refusing food, water and medication.

“Since they intend to get rid of me, I’m going to make it easy for them,” Salameh reportedly said, according to his doctor, who noted that his blood pressure was very high.

In a statement on Sunday, his lawyer said Salameh’s health was “extremely unstable” and requires “continuous care and monitoring.”

Salameh, 76, was due to appear in court last Thursday for questioning in connection with a complaint filed earlier this year by current Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid, accusing him of embezzlement, illicit enrichment and money laundering.

According to local reports, police were sent to Salameh's residence to escort him to court, but he suffered a medical emergency en route and was taken to a hospital instead, prompting the judge to postpone the hearing. Authorities briefly lost track of him before he was located Friday at Bhannes Hospital north of Beirut, where he remained under police guard by court order.

On Saturday, Hajj ordered him detained at Roumieh Prison.

Why it matters: As Salameh’s health has deteriorated, many Lebanese have called via social media for him to name all those responsible for Lebanon’s financial collapse.

Since October 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades. As a result, Lebanese banks have been imposing informal capital controls and severely limiting cash withdrawals, citing a lack of liquidity. The situation has led to skyrocketing prices of goods, regular power shortages and a lack of medicine and fuel. Meanwhile, the local currency has lost more than 90% of its value, sending more than half of the population below the poverty line.

Many Lebanese blame the political elite that has governed the country since the civil war ended in 1990 for the financial collapse and for failing to address the crisis.

Salameh, who headed the Central Bank from 1993 until his retirement in 2023, is likewise widely held responsible for the financial collapse and the sharp depreciation of the local currency.

In January, Souaid filed a complaint against Salameh and his brother, Raja Salameh, alleging embezzlement of institutional funds, illicit enrichment and money laundering. An initial hearing in the case was held at Salameh's home in June because of his health.

Know more: Salameh was first arrested in September 2024 in a probe into his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of more than $40 million from the Central Bank during his 30-year tenure. He was released last August on a $20 million bail.

The former governor is also the subject of several probes abroad for his alleged roles in the embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, forgery, illicit enrichment and tax evasion, among other financial crimes.

At least six European countries are investigating Salameh for allegedly embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars through Forry Associates, a company owned and run by his brother, Raja. As part of that investigation, authorities in France, Germany and Luxembourg seized assets worth 120 million euros ($135 million) in March 2022. According to the prosecutors, Salameh is suspected of embezzling some $335 million between 2002 and 2021.

In May 2023, Interpol issued a red notice for Salameh pursuant to arrest warrants issued by France and Germany.

Salameh has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and claimed he had been made a scapegoat for the country’s economic meltdown, arguing that the wider political class bears responsibility for the crisis.