Minister of Interior in the caretaker government, Bassam Mawlawi, commented after a Central Security Council meeting on the murder of Pascal Suleiman, saying: "We extend our condolences to Pascal Suleiman's family and all Lebanese people and commend the role of the security and military agencies and their cooperation." Mawlawi emphasized that they will "not accept anything less than revealing all the circumstances surrounding Suleiman's murder and holding the perpetrators accountable, as the country can no longer bear strife and problems," calling on "Lebanese people to act rationally and not to be drawn into reactions and incidents that could harm local security."
He added: "The vehicle used in the operation was stolen from Al-Rabiya days ago, and investigations will reveal the background of the crime and are being conducted in a professional and transparent manner," explaining that "the perpetrators are detained, and the threads of the crime will be uncovered," encouraging "not to compare Pascal Suleiman's murder to previous undetected crimes."
He disclosed that "the percentage of detained Syrians in Lebanese prisons is about 35 percent," asserting that "the presence of Syrians in this way is unacceptable and cannot be endured by Lebanon and must be limited clearly." He stated: "We reaffirmed the need for strict enforcement of Lebanese laws on Syrian refugees and emphasized to municipalities the importance of adhering to the circulars issued by the Ministry of Interior related to the presence and work of Syrians."
In response to comments made by the Minister of Displaced Persons in the caretaker government, Issam Sharaf al-Din, regarding armed individuals in camps, he said: "I don't know if he has counted them; the security forces have all the information regarding the camps." Mawlawi clarified that "the decision to refer Pascal Suleiman's case to the Judicial Council is determined by the Cabinet according to the proper procedures, and the security forces are fulfilling their duties despite the difficulties."
