Rights groups urge Lebanon government to bolster judicial independence and investigate Beirut explosion News
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Rights groups urge Lebanon government to bolster judicial independence and investigate Beirut explosion

A coalition of rights groups and families of victims from the deadly 2020 Beirut explosion released an open letter on Friday urging Lebanon’s new government to strengthen judicial independence and ensure an impartial investigation into the blast.

The letter directly charged that state officials have impeded the investigation into the blast and other various financial crimes through reforms of Lebanon’s Code of Civil Procedure and Code of Criminal Procedure. The letter also called for the government to adhere to its human rights obligations as it fills vacancies within the judiciary and to ensure the judiciary’s independence adheres to international standards.

The rights groups and families also expressed hope for the new government and applauded the actions it has taken thus far.

The August 2020 explosion killed over 200 people, injured thousands, and left 300,000 people homeless. The explosion has since become a symbol for the Lebanese public of the corruption and systemic mismanagement of government power. A 2021 Human Rights Watch report on the explosion pointed to state officials in the highest office knowing about the risk posed by the presence of ammonium nitrate in the port but failing to take any action.

The newly appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has previously served as a judge and the president of the International Court of Justice and has pledged to provide justice for victims of the explosion. Justice Minister Abel Nassar has further stated this commitment to continuing the investigation and protecting lead investigative judge Tarek Bitar, who resumed the investigation in February.

Similar rights groups and victims’ families have previously called for a UN-led investigation into the Beirut explosion amidst widespread state obstructions and allegations of corruption. In 2023, 38 countries brought a statement to the UN Human Rights Council over the “systemic obstruction, interference, intimidation, and a political impasse” of the investigation.

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