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From “Palestine Branch” to “Mshereib Bay”: Doha Hosts One of the Prominent Suspects in the Hariri Assassination
In a development that has reopened questions surrounding accountability and justice for figures affiliated with the Syrian regime, multiple sources told **Daraj** that Mohammad Izzo Khlouf, a former security official and one of the primary suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, is living freely in Doha, Qatar.
Verified information indicates that Khlouf, who is subject to international sanctions, resides with members of his family in the **Mshereib Bay** residential complex, one of the projects developed by **UCC**, a company owned by brothers Ramiz and Mutaz Khyat. According to the fact-checking platform **Verify-Sy**, Khlouf left Syria and settled in Doha after being referred for retirement—specifically, before the fall of the Syrian regime. Daraj has now corroborated this information with recent photographs and videos confirming his presence there.
Khlouf’s security record is reportedly marked by serious abuses. He worked for years in Lebanon under the command of the late security official Jameh Jameh within the Military Intelligence Directorate, before heading the **Palestine Branch** between 2009 and 2014—a period associated with widespread and deadly security practices.
As numerous former Assad officials fled Syria following the collapse of the regime, the case raises fundamental questions about regional policies toward individuals wanted for prosecution. If Lebanon has taken steps to hand over some of them to Syria’s transitional authorities, will Doha take a similar step and extradite Khlouf to face justice in Syria? Or will the protection he reportedly receives within a major investment project place him beyond the reach of accountability?
