After a 13-month hiatus because to political opposition to his attempts to question top officials, the Lebanese judge looking into the deadly 2020 Beirut port explosion has abruptly reopened his investigation.
Lebanese media and various news agencies reported on Judge Tarek Bitar’s action on Monday, citing judiciary officials. According to Reuters, which cited a judicial source, Bitar has filed additional accusations against eight high and middle-ranking officials and set dates for their interrogation.
Additionally, Bitar ordered the release of five individuals who had been held since the explosion, including contractor Salim Shebli, welder Ahmad Rajab of Syrian descent, and former port officials Michel Nahoul, Shafiq Merhi, and Sami Hussein.
Legal objections and opposition from factions had stalled the investigation into the explosion that left 218 people dead and severely destroyed huge portions of Beirut since December 2021.
Numerous legal challenges were filed by politicians Bitar wanted to examine, including Hezbollah allies, arguing that he had no right to question them and had overstepped his authority.
Hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been left unloaded at the port in 2013 were what triggered the explosion on August 4, 2020, one of the greatest non-nuclear explosions in history, but no top official has been held accountable.
Despite the unexpected decision, Bitar is still under a lot of pressure, which activist and lawyer Nizar Saghieh predicted will continue “to impede his job.”
According to Saghieh, “Bitar is conducting a battle against the policy of impunity” in Lebanon.
After accusing high-ranking officials, Bitar’s predecessor as the lead judge was expelled from the case in February 2021.
Legislative immunity has not been lifted by Parliament, and Bitar’s demands to question top security personnel have been denied.
Members of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, a crucial Hezbollah partner, as well as Hassan Diab, the prime minister at the time of the blast, and top security officer Major-General Abbas Ibrahim were among the senior leaders Bitar intended to question.
All of them, including former ministers Ghazi Zeaiter and Ali Hassan Khalil, have asserted their innocence and denied any wrongdoing.
The interior ministry’s refusal to carry out Bitar’s issued arrest warrants further undermines his efforts to hold people accountable.
In October 2021, Hezbollah and its allies organized a demonstration against Bitar that descended into fatal bloodshed.
Political interference has always been a problem in the Lebanese judiciary, as appointments are frequently made with political support.
Many of the bombing victims’ relatives, human rights organizations, and legal activists still support Bitar because they believe he has established a standard for justice and accountability in Lebanon.
