Beirut, Lebanon – On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made a special appeal to the judiciary on the sixth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion. He demanded the issuance of an indictment amid the investigation’s entanglement in political maneuvering. On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the devastating August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion, Aoun stated that issuing an indictment in the case had become “an urgent necessity that cannot be delayed any longer.” He also called on the judiciary to “do justice for the victims.”
Aoun explained that “justice does not mean revenge, but rather upholding the truth, revealing it completely and without omission, and holding accountable all those who were negligent, derelict in their duties, or caused this catastrophe, regardless of their position or status.” He emphasized that “the Lebanese judiciary is called upon today more than ever to prove its independence and its ability to deliver justice to the victims.” He considered that “the indictment is not merely a legal procedure, but a right of the martyrs over the living.” It is also a right of their families who have waited so long for their children’s souls to find peace and for their suffering to end with the full knowledge of the truth.”
For his part, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in a post on the “X” platform on Monday, stressed that “there will be no compromise at the expense of justice, even if it is sometimes delayed.” Salam added, “Let no one doubt that no official, regardless of their position, will be protected, neither in the Beirut port explosion case nor in any other case. Accountability will spare no one.”
The massive explosion at the port killed more than 220 people and injured over 6,000 others. Authorities attributed it to the storage of huge quantities of ammonium nitrate without safety precautions following a fire of unknown origin. It later emerged that officials at various levels were aware of the dangers of storing the substance but took no action, according to investigations conducted by the authorities. In the same context, investigating judge Tarek Bitar concluded his investigations in late March. This came after charges were filed against approximately 70 individuals, including politicians, security and military leaders, and employees, according to a judicial source.
