'Glaring absence of justice': Lebanon marks five years since Beirut port blast

Hundreds gather in Lebanese capital to commemorate explosion

Lebanon on Monday marked five years since the deadly Beirut port blast that rocked the capital, killing more than 220 people and injured thousands of others.

Hundreds of people gathered at Martyrs' Square in the heart of downtown Beirut to commemorate the grim anniversary of one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.

To the melodies of Lebanese singer Fairuz’s Li Beirut and with Lebanese flags raised above the crowds, the group marched towards the Beirut port, where tragedy struck on August 4, 2020, when nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate improperly stored in the heart of the city detonated.

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Families of the victims made a united line at the front of the group, holding pictures of the loved ones they lost five years ago. Others carried banners and signs that read: “We demand real justice, not performative action” and “preliminary indictment by the end of the year”.

At the port, protesters marching in solidarity met another group, from the Beirut Fire Brigade headquarters in Karantina. They were accompanied by a fire engine with pictures of the firefighters who were killed as they raced to the port five years ago in an effort to put out the initial blaze, unaware of the dangerous chemicals stored behind the doors where the flames had erupted.

The two marches linked up in front of the port and everyone gathered around the stage as the names of every victim were read out to applause. There is still no official tally of all the lives lost in the blast.

Demonstrators carry portraits of some of the victims of the Beirut port blast at a march on Monday. AFP

At 6.07pm, the exact time that the blast took place, applause were replaced with a deafening moment of silence for the victims.

Five years later, no one has been held accountable for the explosion, which has been largely blamed on state negligence and mismanagement. A domestic investigation into the blast has been politically obstructed and repeatedly impeded, with lead investigator Tarek Bitar threatened and regularly forced to bring the case to a halt.

“It’s not about today, it’s about every day for us. It’s been five years that we are asking for justice,” Mariana Fodoulian, whose sister Gaia was killed in the explosion, told The National. “We need accountability, we need to know the truth of what happened on August 4. And we need to punish every person who was responsible for this explosion, for this crime against the victims and all of the Lebanese population.”

Lebanon’s new government, which came into power this year, has repeatedly said that justice for the blast is a top priority and has publicly vowed to support Mr Bitar. While President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are seen as a departure from Lebanon's traditional parties, vows are not enough.

Paul Naggear, whose three-year-old daughter Alexandra was one of the youngest victims, said: "Today, the government has people we can count on, including the Minister of Justice."

"We can't wait any longer," he said in a speech in front of the port.

Optimism and hope in the new government was a common theme spoken about by families of the victims.

"We have high hopes for the new government," said Hiam Kaadan, whose son Ahmad was killed in the explosion. She pointed to President Aoun hosting a number of families of the victims to hear their demands ahead of the fifth anniversary.

Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, told The National, that this year there had been significant developments in the port blast case, specifically with Judge Tarek Bitar's resumption of the case and summoning of several former top officials.

Lebanon marks fifth anniversary Beirut port explosion - in pictures

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  People attend a gathering in Beirut as Lebanon marks the fifth anniversary of the port blast. Reuters

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  Relatives of victims hold portraits of their loved ones during the gathering. AP

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  A metal installation set up across from the destroyed Beirut port silos. AFP

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  A woman holds a mock judge's gavel. AP

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  Demonstrators march during the gathering. AFP

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  Relatives of victims hold portraits of their loved ones and carry the Lebanese flag. AP

He also highlighted a decision by Lebanon's top prosecutor Jamal Al Hajjar to reverse a decision by his predecessor Ghassan Oueidat that effectively blocked the investigation and stopped Mr Bitar from doing his work.

"This is progress in the sense that the investigation has resumed, but more should be done to stop any attempts to interfere with the investigation or prevent it from moving forward."

President Aoun on Monday paid tribute to the victims, insisting authorities were “working, by all available means, to ensure that the investigations continue” and “bring all those responsible to justice, regardless of their status”.

"Justice will not die, and accountability will inevitably come," he said.

The President and Prime Minister did not attend Monday's commemoration, but several government ministers did.

"Resuming the investigation is very crucial, but we also need the courts to respond to the cases and form the required committees," said Halime El Kaakour, a member of parliament.

"We see more political will from this government, compared to the previous one, in regards to facilitating this investigation," she added.

Mr Bitar reopened the case earlier this year and has questioned some of the top officials who previously refused to attend hearings. This progress in the probe has been interpreted by many as signs of hope for long-awaited justice.

The wheat silos that helped shield some Beirut neighbourhoods from the port explosion are being classified as historic monuments. EPA

On Sunday, Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh signed a decision to add the silos at the Beirut port to the country's general inventory of historic monuments. This means no modifications can be made to them without approval from the Directorate General of Antiquities.

The silos helped shield some neighbourhoods from part of the impact of the explosion and were badly damaged in the blast. Families of the victims have called for the silos to be preserved as a heritage site and physical testimony to the loss of their loved ones.

"We want them as a memorial for our victims so that the coming generation knows about August 4, so this crime will not be repeated again," said Ms Fodoulian.

The UN's special co-ordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said that “five years on, tragedy and pain are compounded by the glaring absence of justice”.

“Survivors and victims, and their families, deserve full accountability. And they deserve it now,” she said.