By Mohamad El Sahily | Staff Writer
A few weeks ago, buoyed by an interpretation of the Lebanese law on judicial assignments, Tarek Bitar, the head of the Beirut Blast probe, announced he was returning to the investigation. He issued subpoenas against ministers and heads of security apparatus for questioning. In response, a concerted campaign against Bitar was launched, spearheaded by Lebanese prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, who released previous detainees and issued a travel ban on Bitar. Ever since then, the Lebanese judiciary has been torn between those who support Bitar, and those who deemed his sudden action either threatening to political parties or dangerous to the establishment.
Ghassan Oueidat, Lebanon’s top prosecutor, filed charges against the judge investigating the deadly blast at Beirut’s port in 2020 and ordered the release of all suspects detained in connection with the case. The decision reflected escalating opposition by Lebanon’s governing class to efforts by Judge Tarek Bitar to resume his probe into the devastating explosion that killed several hundred people, injured thousands, and wrecked large parts of the capital. Previously, Oueidat has publicly recused himself, as required by law, from the port blast investigation due to a conflict of interest arising from Ghazi Zaiter, his brother-in-law, being under investigation.
This judicial tumult began a few weeks ago, after Bitar resumed his investigation into the blast after a thirteen-month suspension, under the auspices of political pressure on the justice minister, affiliated with FPM. In the aftermath of the investigation’s resumption, Oueidat overstepped Bitar and moved to appoint a replacement, something that requires a quorum of the Supreme Judicial Council. So far, this attempt has been unsuccessful. Bitar was insistent that he will continue his investigation until he issues an indictment, and that Oueidat has “no right” to overstep him or obstruct the investigation due to his conflict of interest.
Senior politicians whom Bitar sought to interrogate included members of Parliament, Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, an important Hezbollah ally, along with Hassan Diab – prime minister at the time of the blast – and top security official Major-General Abbas Ibrahim. All of them, including former ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zaiter, have denied wrongdoing and said that they have immunity from prosecution. Those summoned have been instrumental in the derailment of the investigation, as they mounted extensive legal challenges to the summons, as well as the pressure their respective factions exerted on the Interior Ministry to not execute the summons.
It remains unclear to what extent the campaign against Bitar may impact him legally. Oueidat has issued a travel ban against him, and it is expected that the individuals summoned may sue him for all kinds of reasons. However, Bitar has received extensive support from the public, especially the victims’ families. An attempt to storm the Justice Palace was held back by riot police as Oueidat barricaded himself inside. In addition, members of Parliament affiliated with March 14 and the “change” MPs have also mounted official complaints in Parliament to protest the derailment of Bitar’s work, reaffirming their support for the probe.