Hundreds of Lebanese denounced Friday the obstruction of justice by marking the third anniversary of the deadly explosion at the port of Beirut, accusing the political class of hindering the investigation into this tragedy.
On August 4, 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated entire neighborhoods of the capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring more than 6,500.
At the call of the collective of the families of the victims, who have fought tirelessly for three years to demand justice, the demonstrators marched to the port where they observed a minute of silence at 6:07 p.m., the exact time of the explosion.
“We will not forget the blood of the martyrs,” chanted the demonstrators, some dressed in black, brandishing a huge Lebanese flag stained with red paint and on which appeared photos of the victims.
The explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate were stored carelessly, despite repeated warnings to the highest officials.
A fire truck, bearing the photos of the ten firefighters killed trying to control the fire, had led the way.
“The investigation into the explosion is hampered by the political power and certain judges who are won over to it”, denounced in a speech Cécile Roukoz, one of the lawyers for the families of the victims, who lost her brother in the explosion.
Mireille Khoury, who lost her 15-year-old son, for her part called for “an independent and impartial investigation within the framework of the UN”, which the Lebanese authorities refuse.
“It’s been three years and we haven’t come to terms with it yet,” said Paul Naggear, who lost his three-year-old daughter in the blast. “We will continue to demand justice until our last breath.”
A first judge in charge of the investigation in 2020 had to throw in the towel, after indicting the former Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, and three former ministers.
His successor, Tarek Bitar, in turn attacked politicians, but parliament refused to waive the immunity of indicted deputies, the interior ministry opposed the interrogation of senior officers, and security forces refused to execute arrest warrants.
He was forced to suspend his investigation for 13 months, due to dozens of lawsuits against him from politicians and intense pressure.
Last January, he returned to work to everyone’s surprise. He was then prosecuted for insubordination by the public prosecutor after indicting several high-ranking personalities, a first in the history of Lebanon.
The prosecutor also ordered the release of the 17 people held without trial since the explosion.
Even though Judge Bitar has not set foot in the courthouse for months, his investigation continues and he is determined to deliver his indictment, assured AFP a legal expert who requested the anonymity for security reasons.
“We are convinced that we will get to the truth,” said Rima Zahed, who lost her brother, to AFP.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron, who had traveled to Beirut the day after the explosion, assured the Lebanese, whose country is full of economic and political chaos, of his support. “You can count on France, our solidarity, our friendship,” he wrote on Twitter, renamed X.
The US State Department, for its part, considered that “the lack of progress” in the investigation was “unacceptable”, stressing “the need for judicial reform”.
Thursday, 300 NGOs including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International as well as families of victims renewed their call for the formation of an international commission of inquiry.
“International action is needed to break the culture of impunity in Lebanon,” said Ramzi Kaiss of HRW.
“The authorities have used all the means at their disposal to shamelessly undermine and obstruct the investigation, in order to avoid accountability,” said Aya Majzoub, deputy regional director of Amnesty.
04/08/2023 18:06:40 – Beirut (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
