Man accused of suffocating beauty queen wife spent years evading European authorities before crossing Channel illegally
A Lebanese man accused of murdering his beauty queen wife has been jailed for nine months in Britain after arriving via small boat, despite being subject to an Interpol red notice and having successfully escaped extradition from Germany and Sweden under human rights laws.
Ibrahim Ghazal, 36, allegedly suffocated model Zeina Kanjo to death in their Beirut home in January 2021, before fleeing Lebanon and embarking on a years-long journey across Europe that culminated in his illegal Channel crossing to Britain this year.
The case has sparked renewed debate about border security and extradition procedures, with Government officials now facing complex decisions about Ghazal’s future once his sentence expires.
Tragic Death Sparks National Outcry
Zeina Kanjo, 33, was found dead in her apartment in the Ain el-Mraisseh district of Beirut on 31 January 2021. The preliminary investigation by the Internal Security Forces, led by Beirut’s chief prosecutor, found that Kanjo’s death was as a result of strangulation, and that she had previously filed a domestic violence case and was trying to get a divorce.
The Lebanese model, who had represented her country in a beauty contest in Egypt the previous year, had been married to Ghazal for only six months. The forensic doctor mentioned that my daughter was strangled by her husband, who is from Tripoli and a resident of Beirut, a few years older than her.
Hours after her death, Ghazal fled to Turkey. Lebanese channel Al Jadeed broadcast an audio recording in which he appeared to admit responsibility. In the call, Ghazal was heard telling Ruba: ‘Do you think I would kill her?! You were talking to us before the accident.’ ‘I’m going to reveal something for the first time and I will not say it in the investigation. What would you do if you arrive home and find your wife with another man?’ ‘I didn’t intend to and I didn’t think she would die, I put my hand on her mouth when she started screaming to shut her up.’
Years on the Run Across Europe
Following the murder, Beirut’s Attorney-General Judge Ziad Abou Haidar charged the man with murder in February 2021. The Lebanese judiciary has issued an Interpol arrest warrant for Ibrahim Ghazal, the Lebanese man who murdered his wife, Zeina Kanjo, earlier this month.
Ghazal’s flight from justice took him through multiple European countries, including Turkey, Greece, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. His journey through Europe eventually led to his arrest in Sweden in December 2022.
However, Swedish authorities refused to extradite him to Lebanon. The Swedish authorities refused, citing that the Lebanese Penal Code provides for the death penalty for the murderer, and this contradicts the laws followed in Sweden. Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 1994, but the existence of the death penalty in Lebanese law proved to be a significant obstacle.
Germany similarly refused extradition when Ghazal was later arrested there. Under Section 8 IRG, extradition can be granted to the requesting country if it assures that it will not impose the death penalty. The fact that the crime in question is punishable by death does not prevent extradition.
Arrival in Britain via Small Boat
After evading authorities across Europe, Ghazal became one of the approximately 37,000 people who crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2024. In 2024, around 37,000 people were detected crossing the Channel in small boats. That was a quarter more than the year before and the second-highest annual figure.
Last week, Ghazal appeared at Gloucester Crown Court where Judge Ian Lawrie KC, the Honorary Recorder of Gloucester, sentenced him to nine months imprisonment after he admitted entering the country unlawfully.
Political Response and Border Security Concerns
The case has prompted strong reactions from Conservative politicians. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the shocking case showed the Government had no control over the migrants entering Britain.
“And we know that the illegal immigrants arriving are from nationalities 24 times more likely to end up in prison, especially for sex offences,” he added. “Every illegal immigrant should be immediately deported upon arrival – then the crossings would soon end.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said the case showed the Government needed to wake up to the crisis in the Channel.
“We have seen terror suspects, murderers, rapists and drug dealers saunter into the country and jeopardise the safety of the British people,” he said.
“This is nothing less than a national security emergency. The public couldn’t care less about outdated international treaties and when the safety of their communities – of their own children and loved ones – is at stake.”
Legal Complexities and Family’s Anguish
The case presents significant legal challenges for British authorities once Ghazal completes his nine-month sentence. Having already successfully resisted extradition from two European countries by claiming he would face execution if returned to Lebanon, similar arguments could potentially be made in Britain.
Barrister Toby Cadman, an international criminal law specialist, explained that Britain may be able to extradite an individual to a country that has the death penalty if there are assurances the suspect will not face execution.
“It would be the same as when we send someone back to the US, where the death penalty still applies in some states,” he said. “We have to receive a proper assurance that the death penalty won’t be applied, and that various other conditions are met.”
Ms Kanjo’s heartbroken father, Mohammed, expressed little faith in the Lebanese justice system and claimed that while on the run, Ghazal had been able to sneak back into Lebanon to attend his cousin’s wedding a year after his daughter’s death.
“After all this time, I’m left wondering if justice will ever be served,” he told the Mail. “It’s like something is missing from your body, something that is not replaceable.
“I honestly hope he’s not handed over to Lebanese authorities only to be imprisoned and then released again. Perhaps the British legal system will find a way to properly punish him.”
Government Response
A Government spokesman said: “The Home Office never comments on whether extradition requests have or have not been received, and it is also our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases.
“However, we will always do everything in our power to remove serious foreign criminals from the UK so they are not left free on our streets after completing their sentence.”
The case highlights ongoing challenges in managing cross-border justice and border security, particularly as small boat crossings continue to rise. From January to June, there were around 20,000 small boat crossings – the highest ever number for this period, and 48% more than in the same period in 2024.
As Ghazal serves his sentence, questions remain about whether justice will ultimately be served for Zeina Kanjo, whose death sparked national outrage in Lebanon and renewed calls for stronger protections for women facing domestic violence.
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