An installation representing the Lebanese flag with the slogan "People, army, justice" in front of the destroyed grain silos at the port of Beirut on July 31, 2022. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/File photo/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — On the eve of the third anniversary of the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port blast, several politicians took to social media networks to comment on the tragedy.
"For 20 months, the investigation into the Beirut port explosion has been stalled. Uncovering the crime is a duty, and achieving justice is imperative – to hold the responsible accountable, provide solace to the victims' souls, console the families, clear the innocence of the blameless, safeguard the reputation of the judiciary, protect the dignity of the people, and restore trust in the nation both domestically and internationally,” tweeted Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil.
من ٢٠ شهر توقّف التحقيق بانفجار العصر بمرفأ بيروت. كشف الجريمة واجب، واحقاق العدالة واجب لكي يحاكم المسؤولين وترتاح ارواح الضحايا ويتعزّوا الأهالي وتتبرّأ ذمّة الابرياء ويحفظ القضاء سمعته وتحمي الدولة كرامة شعبها وتسترجع ثقة الناس ودول العالم فيها. اذا الأمر يقتضي تحقيق دولي…
— Gebran Bassil (@Gebran_Bassil) August 3, 2023
“If an international investigation is necessary, so be it. Lebanon cannot remain a land of corruption, embezzlement of state funds and people's resources, nor a land of unprecedented crimes. In the end, criminals and wrongdoers must not escape punishment,” Bassil concluded.
"Three years since the tragedy of the Beirut port explosion, and our demand remains the same: A complete and unbiased truth, free from politicization, in justice for the souls of the martyrs, their families, and for Lebanon,” tweetd Zgharta MP Sleiman Franjieh, who is Hezbollah's favored candidate for the presidency.
Youssef Fenianos, a former Public Works minister implicated in the case and still walks free, is considered close to Frangieh.
ثلاث سنوات على كارثة إنفجار مرفأ بيروت ومطلبنا واحد، حقيقة كاملة غير منتقصة وبعيداً عن التسييس، إنصافاً لأرواح الشهداء ولذويهم وللبنان.#مرفأ_بيروت
— Sleiman Frangieh (@sleimanfrangieh) August 3, 2023
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea demanded, “justice for Beirut with all the forces we have.”
#العدالة_لبيروت بكل ما أوتينا من قوات.
— Samir Geagea (@DrSamirGeagea) August 3, 2023
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.#القوات_اللبنانية #٤_آب #مرفأ_بيروت pic.twitter.com/aspRCXYJ87
During a commemorative mass on Thursday, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai pointed a finger at individuals under investigation.
"If you are truly innocent, then why seek to evade investigations and obstruct their progress?" he asked.
The investigation has been halted due to numerous political interferences, as former ministers, security officials, and even judges are under implicated in the probe.
“Faced with such a catastrophe, it is unacceptable to remain silent. Individuals, whether directly or indirectly involved, seem to be evading justice through political maneuvers,” Rai stated.
Civil society groups also didn't conceal their anger for politicians and gathered at the Palace of Justice on Thursday to demand accountability.
The International Support Group for Lebanon expressed its solidarity with the families of the victims and with those whose lives, homes, and livelihoods were “severely affected by this tragic event.”
#٤_آب … بصمة سوداء على جبين مرحلة من تاريخ لبنان. جرح #بيروت لن يندمل والعدالة آتية مهما طال الزمن. pic.twitter.com/vIIYUbGuo7
— Saad Hariri (@saadhariri) August 3, 2023
More than 220 people were killed, over 6,500 others were injured, and entire neighborhoods of the capital were devastated by the horrifying explosion, caused by the ignition of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the port.
The ammonium nitrate had been in storage since 2013 without safety measures.
On Tuesday, 15 ambassadors from countries that signed the joint declaration on the Beirut port explosion at the United Nations Human Rights Council urged Lebanese authorities to expedite the investigation into the tragedy and expressed their concern about its "ongoing obstruction."
Several high-ranking officials and politicians pursued by Bitar have refused to appear in court.
On the commemoration of the third anniversary of the tragedy, families of victims are planning a gathering at 4:00 p.m. at the Quarantaine Fire Brigade, located a few hundred meters from the port. The march will then proceed to the Emigrant's Statue, facing the site of the tragedy.
A gathering at the Trocadéro Square in Paris is also planned. Civil society groups