BEIRUT — Amnesty MENA on Thursday condemned Lebanon's judiciary for "acting swiftly to penalize" relatives of the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port blast victims who participated in a demonstration against judicial paralysis Tuesday outside the Justice Palace.
The Lebanese judiciary had summoned a number of Beirut port blast victims’ relatives for questioning, on charges of rioting, vandalism and damaging offices at the courthouse.
"It is absurd to see the judiciary acting swiftly to penalize families of the victims who are demanding justice for throwing stones at the Judicial Palace," Amnesty said in a statement on Twitter. "While almost 2.5 years after the Beirut blast that decimated over half the city, no one has been held to account."
Authorities summoned Peter Bou Saab and William Noun, whose brothers died during their response to the blast as members of the Fire Brigade. Part of protesters’ ire turned towards caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, who is accused of stalling judicial appointments that would allow the investigation into the blast, which killed more than 220 people and injured 6,500 others, to proceed.
"The Lebanese authorities have made it patently clear that they are not interested in truth or justice, and that they will use all the tools at their disposal to obstruct the domestic investigation and protect the politicians charged in the case," Amnesty MENA added. "Replacing [current investigating] Judge Bitar is akin to crushing the domestic investigation. Judge Bitar should be allowed to resume his work immediately. But the international community should also heed the victims’ calls for an international investigation."
Bitar no longer has control over the investigation amid numerous appeals for dismissal brought against him by officials suspected in the investigation.
Meanwhile, in early September, the Higher Judicial Council decided to appoint an alternate investigating judge, but some of the victims' families have insisted that Bitar is "the master of his case" and asserted that "with such a bold and impartial judge, the truth will not be lost." Four members of the HJC had called for a meeting on Thursday to decide on said appointment, but the meeting didn't take place due to lack of quorum.
The victims' relatives regularly protest against the lack of progress in the investigation and obstruction operated by politicians from all sides.