Lebanon marks sixth anniversary of Beirut port blast amid renewed hopes for justice

Beirut, Lebanon. Lebanon on Tuesday marked the sixth anniversary of the Beirut port blast, with victims and officials voicing cautious hope that justice could be delivered over one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.

The August 4, 2020 blast killed more than 200 people and devastated large parts of the capital.

Investigation stalled for years

The explosion was believed to have been caused by hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the port.

The investigation into the chemicals and potential negligence by officials was repeatedly hindered by political interference. Judicial officials and former ministers filed legal challenges against investigating judges, effectively paralysing the probe for years.

“In normal countries, we’d be done by now and we’d be in another phase of our lives and we’d have the right to grieve,” said Paul Naggear, whose three-year-old daughter Alexandra, known as Lexou, was killed in the blast.

“When there’s no justice, it means Lexou’s life has no value,” he said.

Report submitted to prosecutor

A potential turning point came in early 2025, when President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took office and pledged accountability for the explosion.

Judge Tarek Bitar subsequently resumed the investigation and submitted an investigative report to the public prosecutor’s office in late March 2026.

A senior Lebanese judicial official briefed on the inquiry told Reuters that Bitar’s report contained accusations against 70 people for various offences related to the blast. The official did not provide further details, citing the need to protect the judicial process.

Following a response from the public prosecutor, Bitar will prepare a public indictment naming those accused and initiating the trial process, the official said.

Anniversary commemoration

Justice Minister Adel Nassar laid a wreath at a memorial at the port on Tuesday morning.