Rights groups call for international probe on 3rd anniversary of Beirut port blast

Rights groups and victims of the Beirut port blast published on Thursday a joint letter calling on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to establish an international fact-finding mission into the man-made disaster which killed at least 251 people and wounded 7,000 people three years earlier.

Despite the blast destroying half of Lebanon's capital city, no one has been charged concerning the crime three years after the fact, with authorities accused of blocking attempts at establishing accountability. 

The letter, signed by more than two dozen local and international rights bodies and hundreds of blast victims, called the HRC to adopt a resolution establishing an "international, independent and impartial fact-finding mission" during its next session.

An international fact-finding mission would not lead to any indictments. Instead, it would gather evidence that could be used in Lebanon's domestic investigation and any investigations filed in third countries.

It would also identify human rights violations related to the blast, help establish responsible entities and individuals, and create recommendations to ensure justice for victims.

The joint letter is the latest in a series of calls from Lebanese civil society for international assistance to establish justice in the Beirut port explosion.

Lebanese authorities have continually blocked the domestic investigation into the Beirut port blast, replacing the first investigative judge and preventing the second judge from carrying out his duties.

The current investigative judge, Judge Tarek Bitar, has been blocked from carrying out his work since December 2021.

In January 2023, Bitar attempted to resume the investigation, but Lebanon's top prosecutor charged him with "usurpation of power," effectively stalling the investigation once again.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, condemned what she portrayed as blatant political interference in the domestic investigation.

At the 52nd session of the HRC in March, 38 countries called on the Lebanese authorities to "abide by its international human rights obligations" and allow the domestic investigation to continue unhindered.

Lebanese authorities have since continued to obstruct the domestic probe's progress, which, according to Thursday's joint letter, creates a responsibility for HRC member states to support the Lebanese people's quest for justice.

"Uncovering the truth of what happened on 4 August 2020 is the only way to prevent such a tragedy from occurring in the future and is pivotal to ensure redress after the devastation of that day," the letter said.