A 'strong precedent': Victims of Beirut blast hail UK compensation order

Company found liable over deadly explosion told to pay total of $1 million to four victims

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  Paul and Tracy Naggear have been grieving since the explosion that tore through the Lebanese capital in 2020 killed their three-year-old daughter. All photos: AFP

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  The August 4 blast, blamed on a fire that ignited tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser haphazardly stored for years at Beirut harbour, was one of the largest non-nuclear detonations ever recorded.

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  Paul and Tracy moved out of Beirut and settled in the mountain town of Beit Mery, 10 kilometres away following the blast. The walls and shelves of their home are adorned with pictures of Alexandra.

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  After the disaster, Lebanon's ruling elite drew even more public ire by interfering in an investigation that aimed to pinpoint culpability. The lead investigator, Tarek Bitar, has been barred from proceeding by a series of lawsuits filed by political leaders since last year.

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  Parliament member Melhem Khalaf, a former Beirut bar association head, has tried to fight the official impunity, but both domestic and external factors have hampered investigations.

Family members of the victims of the Beirut port blast have said a landmark compensation order by a UK court sets a “strong precedent” for those pursuing justice over the deadly 2020 explosion.

Savaro Ltd, the UK-registered company found liable earlier this year by the same court for the blast, was told to pay a total of $1 million to four victims.

At least 220 people died, thousands injured and large parts of the Lebanese capital destroyed when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded on August 4, 2020. Savaro was found liable for importing the chemical, which sat at the port for years.

Paul Naggear, one of the plaintiffs whose daughter Alexandra, three, was among the youngest victims of the explosion, said the compensation ruling was important because it set a “strong precedent” for other lawsuits related to the blast.

“It's also a very good signal to everybody and to us that there is hope. It's a sign of progress. It's going to give everybody hope in potentially pursuing other cases,” he told The National.

The case was launched by four victims and family members of the blast, represented by the prosecution office of the Beirut Bar Association and the law firm Dechert.

The London ruling awarded £100,000 ($125,624) each to three claimants – Alexandra's parents Paul and Tracy, and the family of Ralph Malahi, a firefighter who died in the blast – the largest non-nuclear explosion in history.

Some £550,000 was awarded to Inaam Al Kayal, who was severely injured in the blast, for future medical treatment, lost earnings and trauma.

While Mr Naggear said it was a “very good feeling” to hear the news from the London court, he cautioned that it would be complex to collect the money.

Savaro is believed to be a shell company, and the identity of its real owners remains unclear.

If the Naggear family were to receive compensation, they would use it to help fund the foundation they founded in their daughter's name.

The judicial progress sits in stark contrast to that happening inside Lebanon. No senior official was held accountable for the blast during the stalled domestic investigation, which has repeatedly been impeded by legal measures in a country where attributing blame for negligence has become deeply politicised.

“Things are progressing outside of where the actual blast happened,” said Mr Naggear, adding that inside Lebanon, the judicial progress was “completely blocked”.

“It's really weird to see that outside things are happening; it's ridiculous. That's a very strong message because it shows that there is a clear will from inside to block things from happening.”

Lead investigator Tarek Bitar had charged several senior government, security and legal officials – but has received severe legal and political pushback, including from fellow judges.

Other family members of the victims have launched separate lawsuits outside Lebanon.

The Dechert team in London was led by Camille Abousleiman, a partner at the firm and former minister in the Lebanese government.