The silos at the Port of Beirut, damaged by the deadly explosion of Aug. 4, 2020. (Credit: Matthieu Karam)
BEIRUT— Customs Director Badri Daher, who was detained after the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port blast, filed a complaint against Judge Tarek Bitar, whose probe into the circumstances of the explosion has been suspended by similar complaints filed before.
Here’s what we know:
• Daher’s lawyer Naji Bandar told L’Orient Today that the goal is to "put an end to the obstruction of justice" practiced by the political leaders involved, and "translated into multiple appeals which paralyze the course of the investigation," adding that "the objective is for my client's case to be examined, as the period of his detention has reached an intolerable threshold."
• Numerous demands for Bitar’s removal from the case have been filed, halting the investigation until rulings can be issued on them.
• Badri Daher was detained alongside 24 other port officials, employees and contractors, in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
• Interference from all sides of the political spectrum has made relatives of the more than 220 dead and 6,500 injured by the blast fear the possibility of total impunity for political and security officials implicated in the blast.