Former Iraqi lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani was found strangled to death in a Beirut apartment, a Lebanese judicial official told AFP on Tuesday, adding that one of three suspects had been arrested.

Security services discovered Alwani's body late Monday and confirmed his identity on Tuesday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. His family had previously reported him missing to Lebanese authorities.

A Lebanese national suspected of involvement in the killing has been arrested, while two Syrian suspects remain at large, the official said. Preliminary findings indicate that Alwani was strangled inside the apartment.

Alwani arrived in Beirut last week, and surveillance footage showed him voluntarily entering the building where his body was later found alongside two other people, the official said. The suspects had taken him from the airport to his hotel upon his arrival, the official added.

Alwani's media office, however, disputed reports that he had stayed at a hotel, releasing a detailed account of his arrival in Beirut on November 5 and calling on Lebanese authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.

According to the statement, Alwani arrived from Erbil aboard Middle East Airlines flight ME325, which landed at Rafic Hariri International Airport at 4:41 p.m., 14 minutes ahead of schedule.

The media office said surveillance footage showed several individuals leaving the apartment building at 4:55 p.m., just 14 minutes after the plane landed, raising questions about whether they had prior knowledge of Alwani's arrival.

It estimated that Alwani may have completed immigration procedures, collected his luggage and left the airport at around 5:15 p.m. However, it said the exact time he reached his accommodation and the route he took remained unverified.

The last documented contact between Alwani and his media office took place at 9:05 p.m. and lasted two minutes and 30 seconds, the statement said. During the call, he informed the office that he had arrived in Beirut and was making his way from the airport to his accommodation.

The statement added that preliminary information suggested the individuals under suspicion may have returned to the building at around 11 p.m., while surveillance footage showed them leaving at 11:57 p.m.

The media office cautioned that the timestamps did not establish when the killing took place, saying the exact time of death must be determined through forensic and criminal investigations.

It also rejected reports and timelines attributed to the office without official confirmation, stressing that Alwani had not stayed at a hotel on the day he arrived in Beirut. His last documented communication with the office, it said, was limited to confirming his arrival and his transfer to his accommodation.

The office called on Lebanese security and judicial authorities, particularly the Internal Security Forces' Information Branch and the competent public prosecutor's office, to identify the individuals seen in the surveillance footage and investigate their possible links to the apartment and the killing.

It also urged investigators to review recordings from the airport, the building and surrounding roads, cross-check them against flight data and entry records, and establish when Alwani left the airport, how he traveled and which route he took.

The statement further called for an investigation into whether any prior communications or arrangements had been made concerning Alwani's arrival or the movements of those suspected of involvement.

It urged authorities to cross-check the 9:05 p.m. call against other evidence, determine the time of death through forensic findings and identify everyone involved in planning, carrying out or facilitating the crime. The office called for the investigation's findings to be made public without compromising the course of justice.

It also called on the Iraqi government, the Foreign Ministry and the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut to follow up on the case and coordinate directly with Lebanese authorities.

Addressing local and international news organizations, the media office urged journalists to exercise caution, rely on its official statements and direct communications, and refer to Lebanese judicial authorities for verified findings. It warned against presenting unverified accounts as established facts.

Alwani's past also drew attention to the case. He was sentenced to death in Iraq in 2014 for the murder of two soldiers but was ultimately released from prison last year.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the killing, praising the efforts of judicial and security agencies to uncover its circumstances.

"Beirut cannot be allowed to become a haven for crime and lawlessness," Salam said, stressing that protecting the capital's security and ensuring the safety of everyone on Lebanese soil were non-negotiable.