Hoteit seeks recusal of Judge Bitar, victims' families reiterate 'unwavering support' for magistrate

As investigative judge Tarek Bitar was set to appear Tuesday before the examining magistrate, the relatives of the victims of the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion once again voiced discordant positions: on one side, the committee led by Ibrahim Hoteit, calling for the removal of investigative judge Tarek Bitar; on the other, the collective of families gathered in the "garden of victims," reaffirming their "unwavering support" for the magistrate.

During a press conference at the press syndicate headquarters, Ibrahim Hoteit, head of the committee of families of martyrs, wounded and victims of the port explosion — known for being close to Hezbollah and critical of Judge Bitar — expressed the "deep disappointment" of the committee members regarding the judge heading the investigation into the tragedy that left nearly 235 dead and thousands injured.

In the evening, the other group of families assembled in the garden of the victims near the port, reaffirmed their "unwavering" support for the judge, whom they consider "the only legitimate judicial authority" to continue the probe.

This collective also denounced "political interference" in the case, stressing that "justice is not a political demand but a human right that does not expire over time."

'We have definitively lost hope in him'

In his remarks, Hoteit accused Judge Bitar of conducting the investigation according to "sectarian considerations," citing a "lapse" that, he said, "broke the trust" previously given by his committee.

"More than 63 months after the explosion that killed our loved ones and destroyed half of Beirut, you are killing our cause a second time," he said, also denouncing "political interference" and the "confusion" surrounding the case.

Hoteit further faulted the judge for not questioning "all those responsible" involved, including intelligence chiefs, senior army officers, as well as former presidents and ministers.

The committee president also said he has not communicated with the judge since October 2021, claiming that "what Mr. Bitar is saying is not the language of a magistrate, but of a politician."

He called on the president of the Higher Judicial Council, Souheil Abboud, Justice Minister Adel Nassar, and head of state Joseph Aoun to remove the investigative judge. "We have definitively lost hope in him," Hoteit added.

Bitar was scheduled to appear on Tuesday before examining magistrate Habib Rizkallah, appointed ad hoc to question him before the Court of Justice in a complaint for "usurpation of power and rebellion against justice" filed in January 2023 by former Court of Cassation prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat.

However, the hearing was postponed due to a "procedural flaw" and is expected to be rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6.

The victims' families supporting Judge Bitar have called on Judge Habib Rizkallah "to rule quickly on the complaint filed against [the magistrate]," and demanded "the lifting of the travel ban imposed on him so that he can interrogate the owner of the ship Rhosus, which was carrying the ammonium nitrate and is currently detained in Bulgaria."

"Our monthly vigil is not a mere symbolic gesture, but a cry for rights and resistance in the face of injustice and oblivion," the families added.

"It is a message to all those who still believe our pain can be traded, bought or forgotten. We are here because our children are gone, because Beirut is still waiting for the truth, and because only justice can repair what has been destroyed in the hearts of the Lebanese and restore their trust in their state."