Lebanon's Investigation into Beirut Port Explosion Grinds to a Standstill

The investigation into the devastating blast at Beirut's port last year has been reignited by Lebanese investigative judge Tarek Bitar. For the first time in over a year, new charges have been levied against high-level and mid-level officials in the country. With this new development, Judge Bitar is determined to uncover answers to some of the many lingering questions about Lebanon's greatest tragedy.

The Lebanese investigation into the August 2020 explosion at Beirut's port has been repeatedly stalling since its launch due to high-level political meddling and a lack of judicial independence. There have been multiple legal complaints lodged by Lebanese politicians against judge Bitar, disputing his judicial powers and accusing him of bias. This follows the removal of Fadi Sawan, the initial judge appointed to lead the investigation, in February 2021 after he had charged senior politicians in connection with the matter.

On August 4th, 2020, Beirut was rocked by one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. The detonation of a large amount of Ammonium Nitrate stored in a warehouse at the port since October 2014 is believed to be the root cause. Over 200 lives were lost, over 7,000 were injured and 300,000 residents displaced due to the destruction caused by this tragic event. Many have pointed out that proper safety measures may have prevented such an appalling catastrophe if they had been taken earlier.

The case being examined was a web of conflicting information and speculation, encompassing numerous parties and potential criminal liabilities. Every twist in the investigation caused a different version of events to emerge, with many facts only supported by a few sources. As these theories and opinions spread, it became increasingly difficult to determine who was responsible, especially with the government rejecting or delaying the investigation process. As such, accountability has been hard to come by as the situation remains complex and unresolved.

Calls have been made by various national and international actors - including senior Lebanese politicians - since the early days of the event to launch a United Nations' independent investigation into the explosion. This is primarily due to Lebanon's lack of technical capabilities to investigate a case of this scale, as well as the judiciary's tendency for political influence.

Despite growing pressure from the international community and civilians of Lebanon, no tangible progress has been made by the UN Human Rights Council in relation to the Beirut explosion. While foreign agencies such as the FBI and French police conducted early investigations, none have provided a conclusive answer as to who is responsible for the tragedy. As of today, all efforts have been unsuccessful in uncovering vital information about the deadly disaster.

Media outlets and advocacy organizations, such as Al Jadeed’s investigative unit, the Organized Crime and Corruption Report Project (OCCRP), and Human Rights Watch (HRW), conducted initial but compelling investigations into the events that led to the August 4 port explosion. These investigations primarily relied on a review of documents and official correspondence, providing a strong insight into what happened.

New evidence has emerged surrounding the tragic explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4th. Media outlets, advocacy organizations, and investigative reporters have conducted initial investigations—Al Jadeed’s investigative unit, the Organized Crime and Corruption Report Project (OCCRP), and Human Rights Watch (HRW) among them—uncovering critical information from documents, official correspondence, and other sources. These reports paint a nearly complete picture of the events leading up to the explosion.

Reports have surfaced that Lebanese officials were made aware of the potential danger posed by the Ammonium Nitrate shipment stored in Beirut's port warehouses. Despite ample warning, no action was taken to relocate the cargo. An investigation conducted by Al Jadeed's investigative unit has reasoned this negligence and unearthed more details regarding the shipping operation. According to OCCRP's investigation, the ship involved in this incident possessed questionable ownerships, and with its customer undisclosed, doubts remain surrounding its arrival at the port.

A comprehensive investigation by Human Rights Watch has concluded that multiple Lebanese authorities could be held criminally liable for their negligence in the handling of Ammonium Nitrate cargo before the Beirut explosion.

Last August 2021, the Beirut Bar Association (BBA) filed a lawsuit in the United Kingdom against UK-registered chemical trading company Savaro Ltd. - allegedly the owner of the Ammonium Nitrate cargo which caused the devastating explosion at the port of Beirut. This legal action was taken amid investigations conducted by media and advocacy groups, as well as calls for a UN investigation into the incident.

Separately, victims of the port explosion filed a lawsuit against US-Norwegian geophysical services group TGS in Texas in July 2022. This legal action was aimed at bringing justice to the victims whose plight had been stalled by Lebanese investigations.

TGS, a seismic surveying company based in the United Kingdom, is the owner of Spectrum ASA, which chartered the ship that delivered 2,750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate to Beirut. These two lawsuits are being closely watched as they seek to provide more evidence for the Lebanese investigation and work towards securing justice for victims outside Lebanon.

The Lebanese investigation into the explosions at Beirut's port is ongoing, with legal battles over jurisdiction, accountability, and access to evidence raging. Recently there has been a clash between Judge Bitar and Lebanon’s top public prosecutor Ghassan Oweidat, who are each filing charges against the other and challenging one another's authority. It remains unclear which legal theory will prevail in this face-off.

Oweidat recently imposed a travel ban against Bitar, and immediately released all detainees in connection with the port explosion. This came after Bitar had filed his latest allegations, which Oweidat dismissed due to an apparent lack of legal authority. Even so, Bitar countered by pointing out that Oweidat himself was charged in relation to the same incident.