Six years on, families of those killed in huge Lebanon port blast hope for justice at last
The Ongoing Search for Justice After the Beirut Port Blast
By Maya Gebeily, Emilie Madi and Ahmad Al Kerdi
BEIRUT, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Lebanon on Tuesday marked the sixth year since a deadly blast at Beirut port, with victims and Lebanese officials expressing a renewed but cautious hope that justice could finally be served over one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.
The blast on August 4, 2020, which killed more than 200 people and destroyed swathes of the capital, was thought to have been set off by hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port.
Stalled Investigations and Political Interference
But an investigation into the chemicals and which officials could be considered negligent was repeatedly stymied by years of political interference, with judicial officials and then-ministers continually raising legal challenges against the investigating judges that effectively paralysed the probe.
Impact on Victims' Families
"In normal countries, we'd be done by now and we'd be in another phase of our lives and we'd have the right to grieve," said Paul Naggear, whose 3-year-old daughter Alexandra — nicknamed Lexou — was killed in the blast.
"When there's no justice, it means Lexou's life has no value."
PROBE COULD ACCUSE 70 OVER BLAST
Renewed Efforts for Accountability
A turning point came in early 2025, when President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took office and immediately promised accountability for the blast.
Judge Tarek Bitar soon resumed his probe and submitted an investigative report to the public prosecutor's office in late March 2026.
Details of the Investigation
A senior judicial official in Lebanon briefed on the investigation told Reuters that Bitar's report included accusations against 70 individuals for various offenses linked to the blast. The official could not share further details to protect the judicial process.
Following a response from the public prosecutor, Bitar will prepare a public indictment which will include the names of those accused and trigger the trial process, the official said.
Memorials and Public Sentiment
Commemorating the Victims
On Tuesday evening, hundreds gathered at a memorial event near the port, with organizers reading the names of those killed and survivors sharing their testimonies.
Several of those attending said they hoped that by the seventh anniversary of the blast, those responsible would be serving jail sentences.
Lingering Skepticism
Others remained skeptical the state could deliver justice.
Reine Abbas told Reuters she has always joined the annual memorial march, but has seen numbers go down year by year.
"The numbers of the families of the victims are decreasing, and that’s proof that there is no trust. For me, if I don’t see at least one person in jail, there is no trust," Abbas said.
Official Response
Statements from Lebanese Officials
Lebanon's Justice Minister Adel Nassar laid a wreath at a memorial at the port on Tuesday morning.
"The state and the judiciary allow this file to go to the very end. This is a must for the relatives of the victims, for the victims themselves, for all those impacted and for the Lebanese people," said Nassar.
"We cannot say there is a judiciary (in Lebanon) if we are silent about a disaster as big as the Beirut port blast."
(Editing by Peter Graff and Daniel Wallis)
