Relatives of the victims of the August 4, 2020 explosion at the port of Beirut, gathered in front of the scene of the tragedy, on July 4, 2026, five years and eleven months after the disaster. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Relatives of the victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion demanded Saturday that justice be served, saying the investigation into the disaster continues to stall because of political interference.
About 20 relatives took part in the monthly sit-in, according to our reporter at the scene.
’’We are sending a clear message to all those who think time will erase this crime: Time will not erase it, the truth will not be buried, and responsibility will not disappear,’’ the families said in a statement.
They also called ‘’on all those in power to stop interfering with the judiciary and to allow investigating Judge Tarek Bitar to carry out his mission with complete freedom and independence, because justice is not a political choice but a constitutional, human and moral right.’’
On Aug. 4, 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated much of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and wounding about 6,500 others.
The explosion was caused by a fire that ignited hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate at the port, despite repeated warnings to senior officials, many of whom have been accused of negligence.
