Walid Ali Abdel Baqi, a Syrian man, was fatally assaulted by a group of Lebanese citizens after being beaten. Abdelbaqi, originally from the town of Mhambel south of Idleb, had been living as a refugee in Lebanon since 2012. He was married with three children.
According to his brother, Bassam Abdel Baqi, Walid had been residing in the Chtaura area and travelled to Beirut about ten days ago in search of work. In Beirut, he was violently attacked by a group of locals solely because of his Syrian nationality, which left him severely injured.
Bassam further stated that multiple Lebanese hospitals denied his brother’s treatment. Their father then sought help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but received no response. Walid struggled with his injuries at home for several days before succumbing to them.
This incident is part of a troubling increase in racist actions and rhetoric against Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the caretaker government of Lebanon has been initiating discussions with several countries and the Syrian regime to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
