The Beirut port silos , before and after the blast.
The silos were destroyed by a massive explosion Aug 4, 2020 in which 220 people were killed , 7000 Injured , after 2,750 Tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate that were illegally stored there for nearly 7 years exploded . President Michel Aoun was warned about the possibility of the explosion 15 days before it happened but did nothing about it . Aoun’s ally Hezbollah has been for years trying to fire judge Tarek Bitar who is investigating the explosion reportedly because it is concerned about exposing its role in supplying its ally Bashar al- Assad with the explosive chemical for use in Syria’s barrel bombs against civilians .
Beirut, Lebanon- President Joseph Aoun on Monday urged the judiciary to issue a long-awaited indictment over the 2020 Beirut port blast, on the eve of the catastrophe’s sixth anniversary.
Aoun described the explosion as “a tragedy unparalleled in our modern history,” one that transformed the port from a lifeline for the economy into the scene of a disaster that claimed innocent lives, left hundreds killed and thousands wounded, and caused destruction that ravaged both stone and spirit.
He regarded this anniversary not merely as a moment for mourning, but as a constant reminder of the imperative of “truth, justice, and accountability,” stressing that the wound will not heal—nor will the Lebanese people’s confidence in their institutions be restored—until the pursuit of justice is carried through to the end.
“The issuing of the indictment by the investigating judge has become a necessity that can no longer be delayed,” Aoun said in a statement.
He reaffirmed that the rule of law is the “sole guarantee” against a recurrence of the tragedy, asserting that Lebanon can emerge stronger from its ordeal once full justice is achieved; he expressed the hope that the souls of the martyrs might rest in peace and that their memory would remain a driving force in the quest for truth and justice.
The massive Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, killed more than 220 people, injured more than 6,500 and damaged swathes of the capital.
Lebanese authorities have said the explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been stored haphazardly for years, despite repeated warnings to senior officials.
Nobody has been held accountable for the disaster, with victims and their families still demanding justice in a country long plagued by official impunity.
Justice “means upholding rights, revealing the whole truth without any omission, and holding accountable” all those who were negligent or caused the catastrophe “whatever their position”, Aoun said.
“The Lebanese judiciary is called today more than ever before to prove its independence and ability to deliver justice to the victims. The indictment is not just a legal procedure, but a right owed by the living to the martyrs and their families,” he added.
In March, a judicial official told AFP that judge Tarek Bitar had completed his probe involving some 70 defendants including politicians, security and military officials and civil servants.
He referred the case to the public prosecutor who was to study it, present his opinion and then refer it back to Bitar to issue the indictment.
The case, which is still with the public prosecutor, had been bogged down by political and legal wrangling since 2023, after Iran-backed Hezbollah led a campaign demanding Bitar’s removal and dozens of lawsuits also sought to remove him from the case.
However, Bitar resumed his investigations last year as Lebanon’s balance of power shifted and Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took office following a 2023-2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which weakened the group.
Since then, several legal impediments to Bitar’s work have also been removed, including the lifting of a travel ban against him.
Salam said on X that “there can be no settlement at the expense of justice, even if it is sometimes delayed”.
He vowed “no cover for any official, no matter their position, whether in the Beirut port explosion case or any other issue. Accountability will not spare anyone.”
AFP / FRANCE24/ YL
