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Suspension of probe into Beirut blast points to obstruction of justice by authorities, Amnesty Int’l

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This August 5, 2020 file photo, is the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. 218 killed ,7000 Injured after several hundred tons of ammonium nitrate exploded . 2750 tons were stored there for nearly 7 years, reportedly for use by the Syrian regime in its barrel bombs. The shipment was reportedly confiscated by Badri Daher a close associate of President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil , both are allied with the Syrian regime . The shipment arrived at a time when Syria was surrendering its chemical weapons to a UN backed organization for destruction . Aoun officially knew about the Ammonium Nitrate 2 weeks before the explosion but did nothing about it . He , along with his Hezbollah allies refused an international investigation but promised a local investigation that will bring the culprits to justice in less than a week but 8 months later not one politician has been charged. According to an investigation by FBI only 20 % of the chemical exploded . Several intelligence reports revealed that Hezbollah shipped most of the nitrate to Syria and used the rest in Germany , UK and Cyprus

Responding to a decision by Lebanese authorities to suspend the investigation into the 2020 Beirut port blast, following complaints filed by two MPs summoned for interrogation accusing the leading investigative judge of bias, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Lynn Maalouf, said:

“This decision is just the latest evidence that the political leadership have had one aim since day one of this investigation – to stop it. And it is yet another illustration of their callous disregard for the rights of the victims, survivors and their families.

“Every stage of this investigation has been hampered by the Lebanese authorities’ efforts to shield politicians and officials from scrutiny. They dismissed the first judge on the case and suspended the work of the second, refused to lift immunity for MPs, and failed to appear for questioning when summoned.

FILE – In this Aug. 4, 2021 file photo, a monument that represents justice stands in front of towering grain silos that were gutted in the massive August 2020 explosion at the port that killed more than 218 people , wounded over 7,000, destroyed a large section of the capital and left 300, 000 homeless in Beirut, Lebanon. The lead judge investigating Lebanon’s massive port explosion l issued an arrest warrant Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, for Youssef Fenianos, the former minister of Public Works who failed to appear for questioning, the state-run National News agency reported. Fenianos is one of a number of former pro Hezbollah government officials who have declined to appear before investigating judge Tarek Bitar.

“The suspension of the investigation is yet another reminder of the urgent need for the UN Human Rights Council, which is currently in session, to establish a fact-finding mechanism, and heed the calls made by dozens of organizations, victims’ families, including recommendations from the EU and UN human rights experts.”

Over the past 13 months, the Lebanese authorities have repeatedly obstructed the course of the investigation into the port blast taking all possible steps to shield politicians and officials implicated in the blast from questioning or prosecution.

Most recently, two MPs who had been summoned for interrogation in connection with the explosion, accused Judge Tarek Bitar, who is leading the investigation into the port blast, of political bias. He had previously sought to lift MPs’ immunity and to question former Prime Minister Hassan Diab as well as three former ministers – current MPs and senior members of the security forces. None appeared for questioning.

He is the second judge to be accused of bias by politicians or officials summoned for interrogation. The first, Judge Fadi Sawan was dismissed by the Court of Cassation after he summoned political figures for questioning and was accused of bias partially because his own home was damaged by the explosion.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

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