Foreign Minister Joe Rajji alongside a delegation of families of victims of the deadly Beirut port explosion, on Oct. 28, 2025. (Credit: Minister's X account)
BEIRUT — Foreign Minister Joe Rajji met Tuesday with a delegation representing families of the Beirut port explosion victims, who appealed for his help in arranging a meeting with Bulgaria’s ambassador to Lebanon.
The families want to relay their request for cooperation from Bulgarian authorities to hand over Igor Grechouchkine, the presumed owner of the ship Rhosus, to Lebanese justice.
Grechouchkine had transported the cargo of ammonium nitrate from Georgia that was unloaded in Beirut in 2014, which ultimately caused the deadly double explosion on Aug. 4, 2020, devastating part of the capital and killing more than 220 people.
Bulgarian authorities last Thursday rejected Grechouchkine’s request for release, as well as his appeal against that decision. A judicial source confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour on Friday that an appeal filed several days earlier had also been denied.
Beirut is still awaiting the scheduled hearing on the extradition request for the Russian-Cypriot national, who has been detained in Bulgaria since September.
Grechouchkine has been the subject of a red notice from Interpol, issued at Lebanon’s request after a default arrest warrant was issued for him in October 2020. The extradition request was submitted as early as the beginning of September.
Investigating judge Tarek Bitar, who is handling the dossier of the double explosion at the Court of Justice, recently announced his intention to seek permission to question the presumed owner of the Rhosus in Bulgaria if the extradition request is rejected.
The families emphasized during the meeting the importance of extraditing and hearing Grechouchkine in Lebanese courts, arguing that his testimony is "crucial to identifying those responsible for the ammonium nitrate cargo."
They expressed confidence in the possibility of achieving truth and justice for the victims, "at the dawn of a new presidential term and a new government."
Rajji promised to pass their request to the Bulgarian embassy and assured the families that the ministry will pursue "all necessary steps, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice." He also emphasized that "no words can ease the pain of the families," calling the tragedy of Aug. 4 "a national cause."
