Whenever the victims’ families of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion take action, or whenever the case resurfaces in any way, it becomes more evident that the initial expectation that justice will be served was merely an illusion. 

There is a deliberate effort to ignore, downplay, and pardon those involved, thus gradually transforming August 4 into a kind of idyllic date for families to light candles to remember the incident every year. 

It seems the overall aim is to simply erase the tragic date from the families and Lebanon’s collective consciousness.

Pardon Me  

On June 6, Mohamed el-Mawla, received a notification informing him of his reinstatement as Beirut Port Harbor Master. However, the curious chain of events that led to his notification started much earlier, on April 5, when Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamiyah submitted a list with the names of port employees to be reinstated included in a decision issued by the Council of Ministers. 

Hamiyah subsequently requested the Committee of Legislation and Consultations (CLC) at the Ministry of Justice to offer its opinion on the possibility of allowing the employees to resume their duties.

The move by Hamiyah was an attempt to exploit a legal loophole in order to grant pardons to those implicated in the case. On April 25, the CLC headed by judge Joelle Fawaz, who happens to be the wife of current caretaker Minister of Justice Henry Khoury, presented her analysis. 

“Since the minister did not issue a decision to place any employees under his disposal, we consider the decision of the cabinet non-binding,” she concluded. “As a result all employees (apart from category 1) can continue their duties.” 

Hamiyah interpreted the CLC “verdict” as a legal approval, leading el-Mawla and four others to resume their duties at the port starting June 6.

In addition to Mawla, Projects Director Michel Joseph Nahoul, Acting Director of Operations Samer Mohammad Raad, Head of the Merchandise Department Moustapha Farchoukh, and Head of the Security and Safety Department Mohammad Ziad Ratib al-Awf also returned. 

The Public Prosecutor of Lebanon’s Court of Cassation had issued an arrest warrant for these individuals and initiated an investigation into allegations of negligence and possibly intent with an eye on the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020. 

Ironically, more than two years after their arrest, the current Public Prosecutor of Lebanon’s Court of Cassation, Ghassan Oueidat, released the detainees and, instead, filed charges against special investigating judge Tarek Bitar for “usurping authority, impersonation, and abuse of power,” further impeding the investigation’s progress. 

What about Bitar?

Following Oueidat’s allegations against Bitar, Judge Suhail Abboud, Head of the Supreme Judicial Council, appointed an investigating judge to look into the charges made against Bitar.

During the investigation Bitar’s actions are restricted. He has refrained from making public appearances or statements, while the Beirut Port investigation has come to a standstill. 

Cracking Down on the Victims

In another bewildering twist, the Lebanese judiciary appears to now focus its efforts on pursuing the families of the victims, subjecting them to interrogations, instead of targeting those directly implicated in the case. 

For example, the judiciary has initiated an investigation into William Noun and Peter Bou Saab on charges of “attempting to set fire to the Beirut palace of justice.” 

The two men had protested by burning tires at the building’s entrance, expressing their frustration with the halted investigation and attempts to conceal the truth. 

Noun and Bou Saab were interrogated for about 1.5 hours before they were released  on bail and on the condition they refrain from approaching the palace of justice and burning tires.

In an interview, William Noun emphasized that the families of the victims can no longer remain silent as their case continues to be disregarded. He said he was ready to further escalate the situation to bring the case back into the public spotlight. 

“We made a commitment not to burn tires, but other things we can burn,” said Noun.