Beirut port explosion indictment now in Judge Bitar's hands

BEIRUT — Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation Mohammad Saab handed over the indictment in the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port blast investigation to investigating Judge Tarek Bitar on Tuesday morning.

The preparation of the indictment had been entrusted to Judge Saab first by former Prosecutor General Jamal Hajjar and then by his successor Ahmad Rami al-Hajj. It was completed at the end of last week. The document runs to 270 pages, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), which published a photo of Saab writing the words "Justice for all" on the back of the envelope containing the indictment.

Bitar concluded his investigation on March 30, before sending his investigative report to the Court of Cassation so that it could set out its legal position on the elements of the case.

The indictment should notably include an account of the alleged acts, an assessment of the evidence gathered by the investigating judge and the legal characterization of the acts attributed to those implicated in the case. It should determine each person's responsibility and could call for proceedings to be initiated against a person who was not targeted by Bitar. In that case, the investigating judge would, if necessary, question the person concerned.

For the rest, Bitar is not bound by the prosecutor’s opinion and retains full discretion in his assessment. The indictment he issues will then be referred to the Justice Council for the trial to begin.