Two suspects arrested in connection with murder of Jordanian citizen in Beirut

AMMAN — A special investigation committee from the Criminal Investigation Department is leading the investigation into the disappearance of Jordanian citizen Iyad Khaled Ali Samara, following reports suggesting he may have been murdered outside Jordan, the Public Security Directorate’s (PSD) spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson noted that investigations, based on residency and border records, indicated that Samara left Jordan for Syria in April 2024, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Afterwards, communication with him was lost, prompting his family to file a missing person's report, he added. 

Recently, new information emerged linking two individuals with professional ties to Samara. 

The suspects were identified, located, and arrested, and further investigation uncovered new evidence linking them to Samara's disappearance and death.

Under interrogation, the suspects confessed to planning and executing the murder. 

They had lured Samara out of the Kingdom, and upon his arrival in Beirut, Lebanon, poisoned his food with a toxic substance they had obtained. 

After confirming his death, they discarded his body, took his personal belongings and phone, and disposed of the body in a remote area before returning to Jordan.

The investigation was conducted in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, the Jordanian Embassy in Beirut, and Lebanese authorities, the spokesperson added.

Lebanese police confirmed the discovery of an unidentified body near a beach on the same day Samara lost contact.

The case, along with the suspects, was referred to the prosecutor of the High Criminal Court, who ordered their arrest on charges of premeditated murder and complicity. 

A third individual, who knew the murder plan, was also arrested.

The investigation will continue, with legal proceedings underway and ongoing coordination with the Foreign Ministry, the Jordanian Embassy in Beirut, and Lebanese authorities to ensure the case is fully resolved, the source said.