Five years after Beirut port blast, Lebanon’s president vows justice

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday (Aug 4) vowed justice and accountability five years after the catastrophic Beirut port explosion, as the investigating judge concluded questioning key defendants, a judicial official said.

Nobody has been held accountable for the Aug 4, 2020 blast, one of the world’s largest non-nuclear explosions, which devastated much of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring over 6,500.

Authorities say the explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been stored for years, despite repeated warnings to senior officials.

Judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation earlier this year, after a power shift following the Israel-Hezbollah war that weakened the Iran-backed militant group. Hezbollah had previously led efforts to remove Bitar from the case.

Aoun said the Lebanese state "is committed to uncovering the whole truth, no matter the obstacles or how high the positions" involved.

"The law applies to all, without exception," he said in a statement.

Monday was declared a national day of mourning. Rallies demanding justice were planned later in the day, converging on the port.

INVESTIGATION MOVES AHEAD

Bitar has now finished questioning defendants and suspects, a judicial official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Those questioned include former prime minister Hassan Diab, as well as several military and security officials.

Some former ministers refused to appear for questioning, the official added.

Bitar is awaiting responses to requests sent to several Arab and European countries for information on related incidents. Once received, he will finalise the investigation and send the file to the public prosecution before issuing an indictment.

President Aoun said, "We are working with all available means to ensure the investigations are completed with transparency and integrity."

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a former International Court of Justice judge who took office earlier this year, called the investigation a matter of national importance, denouncing a legacy of official impunity.

Despite the scale of the tragedy, no one is currently in custody over the case.

VICTIMS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement that "despite the resumption of the investigation, the road to justice remains littered with political and legal challenges".

They called for an "unobstructed investigation that establishes the facts and full chain of responsibility" for the explosion, whether domestic or international.

Mariana Fodoulian, from the association of victims' families, said officials had spent five years dodging accountability.

"We're not asking for anything more than the truth," she said. "We won't stop until we get comprehensive justice."

Culture Minister Ghassan Salame said on Sunday that the destroyed wheat silos at the port would be added to a list of historic buildings, a demand long made by victims’ families.

"The silos are the only witness to what happened on August 4," Fodoulian said.

United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Monday urged authorities to "take all necessary action to expedite progress in judicial proceedings".

The US, British and French embassies also called for accountability. The European Union welcomed recent steps forward, stressing that “ending impunity is essential for Lebanon’s recovery.”