Nassar says port blast indictment expected within 60-90 days

Six years after the devastating Beirut port explosion, families of the victims gathered Tuesday to demand answers and accountability in a country long accustomed to official impunity. The blast on August 4, 2020, killed over 220 people, injured more than 6,500, and devastated large parts of the capital.

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Until now, we haven't gotten justice. There has been no accountability and nobody has been arrested.

"Until now, we haven't gotten justice. There has been no accountability and nobody has been arrested," said Hiyam al-Bikai, whose son Ahmad was among the victims. Speaking at a rally at the port, she described the anniversary as "extremely painful," stating that their "pain has not stopped and our wound has not healed."

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This is an extremely painful anniversary. Our pain has not stopped and our wound has not healed.

Lebanese authorities claim the explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse storing tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which had been kept there for years despite repeated warnings to officials. However, no one has yet been held responsible. "We are waiting for the indictment in order to know how our children died, who brought the nitrate, who stored it, who set off the blast... We want them to be held to account," Bikai stated, demanding the "full indictment, without any cover for anyone."

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We want them to be held to account.

In March, a judicial official informed AFP that Judge Tarek Bitar had concluded his investigation into some 70 defendants, including current and former politicians, security and military officials, and civil servants. The case was then sent to the public prosecutor for review before being returned to Bitar for the indictment. The prosecutor is currently reviewing the case, and no one is in custody in Lebanon related to the explosion. Justice Minister Adel Nassar told AFP that the prosecutor is preparing his response. "We expect that within a period of 60 to 90 days, he will refer the case back to the investigating judge, who will then issue the indictment act," Nassar said, indicating that this step would allow a trial to commence. "It is the right of the victims, and of the Lebanese people too, in the face of a crime of this magnitude, for the truth to come out and justice to be served," Nassar added.

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We want the full indictment, without any cover for anyone.