Listen to the latest podcast on the Beirut blast here
Lebanon's Parliament on Thursday demanded action against online campaigners who have accused MPs of signing a petition that could impede the investigation into the Beirut blast.
Family members of the victims of the explosion and civil society activists launched a campaign this week to demand that parliamentarians scrap a petition that could pave the way for MPs implicated in the probe to be tried by their peers and evade justice.
The blast last August was caused by the detonation of thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate — a fertiliser that can also be used to make explosives — that had been stored unsafely at the port for years.
The resulting explosion was one of the most powerful non-nuclear blasts in history, but the investigation into its cause has yet to produce any results, with weeks to go before the Lebanese capital marks the anniversary of the disaster.
Since the explosion, “some well-known parties have been targeting Parliament and legislators, and yesterday, this targeting campaign reached its climax,” a Parliament communique said.
“The Information Directorate in Parliament calls on the judiciary, especially the investigative judge, to act to stop the abuse directed at his work, and at law and justice.”
Campaigners accused the 28 signatories of the petition of trying to protect their peers from scrutiny after investigative judge Tarek Bitar requested that Parliament lift the immunity of those politicians who are under investigation.
Photographs of the signatories with the blast in the background were shared widely on social media alongside the hashtags “parliamentarians of shame” and “ammonium legislators”, in reference to the chemical that exploded at the port.
The petition is the latest obstacle to the probe, which is taking place in a country renowned for the impunity of its political class, legal experts and families of the victims told The National.
Ibrahim Hoteit, who heads a group for the families of the Beirut blast victims, said the petition was an obstruction of justice.
“We call it the petition of shame. Parliamentarians are trying to delay the investigation,” he said.
The petition followed a request this month from Mr Bitar who sought to strip members of parliament and former ministers Nohad Machnouk, Ali Hassan Khali and Ghazi Zeaiter of their immunity. The investigating judge also asked to interrogate caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and former minister Yousef Fenianos, as well as top security and military officials.
The move sparked hope that high-level officials may be held accountable for the devastating explosion that killed at least 215 people and injured thousands more.
In response to the judge's request, at least 28 parliamentarians signed a petition that would allow MPs to take over the port explosion file and interrogate those accused of negligence in the lead-up to the explosion.
Signatories include parliamentarians from Iran-backed Hezbollah and its Shiite ally Amal but also the Future Movement, headed by former prime minister Saad Hariri.
Five MPs withdrew their support after the online backlash, leaving the petition without the minimum number of signatures required to proceed.
“If it had worked, it would have amounted to politicians interrogating themselves,” Mr Hoteit told The National.
“The battle is not won. We still fear that five other parliamentarians may join the petition at a later time.”
Mr Bitar is the second judge to be appointed in less than a year to lead the probe. Politicians asked for his predecessor to be removed after he asked to question them.
The petition is the first step in trying politicians suspected of negligence by the Higher Council for Prosecuting Presidents and Ministers, a body that is composed of seven parliamentarians and eight judges.
It could strip the Lebanese judiciary of any authority in the investigation, said Wissam Lahham, a university professor and an expert in Lebanese constitutional law.
“No one was ever prosecuted before this council, although the article on it has existed since 1927,” he told The National.
The international community and many Lebanese have blamed the country’s entrenched political class — already accused of failing to remedy a severe economic crisis — of criminal negligence and of failing to deliver justice.
“Legislators have no credibility at all. If they are serious, why didn’t they launch this procedure before? It’s been a year,” Prof Lahham said.
Activating the procedure for the Higher Council requires one fifth of MPs to sign a petition accusing a minister or prime minister of neglect or treason. They must then form a committee that will study the file and present a final report to Parliament.
Parliamentarians must then decide by a two-thirds majority whether to refer the politicians to the Higher Council or drop the case.
Mr Bitar would no longer head the investigation should MPs refer the accused to the Higher Council, Mr Lahham said.
“They are using the law and the legal system to protect themselves instead of using the law to protect society.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.