Violence must not derail probe into Beirut blast

▶ The judge investigating the explosion is facing threats and intimidation from militant parties

Unlike so many other tragedies in Lebanon’s history, there was nothing sectarian about the Beirut blast. The explosion of poorly stored ammonium nitrate at Lebanon’s main port in August of last year affected every community in the city in some way. It took out much of the city centre, causing $15 billion of damage, killing more than 200 people, injuring 7,000 and leaving 300,000 homeless.

In the aftermath of such a calamity, the pursuit of justice – for individual victims and society as a whole – is paramount, but not easy. For Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator of an inquiry into the blast’s causes, finding justice is proving more difficult than necessary, as the investigator faces a growing threat of violence.

Since his appointment in February, Mr Bitar has faced an avalanche of pressure from sectarian groups in Lebanon – foremost among them the militant political party Hezbollah – who accuse him of politicising the case.

“You are picking certain officials and certain people,” Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, said to Mr Bitar in a televised address on Monday. But as any investigator knows, criminal responsibility usually lies with “certain people”.

Those “certain people”, Mr Bitar says, may include the powerful individuals who are actually politicising his case. On Tuesday, his investigation was suspended after three former ministers made complaints to Lebanon’s Supreme Court about his conduct. All of them have been charged by Mr Bitar with criminal negligence related to the blast. They claim the charges breach an immunity clause for MPs written into the constitution. Another former minister, Youssef Finianos, filed a separate complaint accusing Mr Bitar of bias. There are no legitimate grounds for the immunity-related complaints, as immunity for all MPs is suspended until October 19, when Parliament goes back in session. Rather, legal experts in Lebanon suspect they are intended to exploit the country’s Code of Civil Procedure, which automatically suspends a judge’s work when a lawsuit is filed against them.

Fears that the fraught legal process would give way to violence have been growing. It does not help that Lebanon’s security forces do not have an effective monopoly on the use of force; Hezbollah and other militants are well-armed, posing a constant domestic threat. In September, a senior Hezbollah official allegedly threatened Mr Bitar through an intermediary, reportedly saying: “We will stay with you until the end of this legal path, but if that doesn’t work, we will remove you by force.”

On Thursday, the Supreme Court threw out the cases against Mr Bitar, allowing the investigation to resume. Shortly afterwards, violent protests broke out among supporters of Hezbollah and its allied party Amal. At least six people were shot dead and dozens were wounded.

The environment surrounding Mr Bitar’s investigation is growing increasingly dangerous. Finding justice will take all of his determination, strong support from those who wish to see Lebanon made whole again and a greater respect for Lebanese state institutions.