Lebanese PM says he signs bill to lift immunity in Beirut explosion case – Sky News Arabia

Cairo, October 6 (Reuters) – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Wednesday that he had signed a bill that lifts the immunity of “all” who may have been responsible for the explosion in the port of Beirut, saying they must be held accountable.

The catastrophic explosion of August 4, 2020 left more than 200 dead and devastated entire swathes of the Lebanese capital.

Mikati added in the interview that the Lebanese constitution stipulated that senior government officials should be tried in a special court.

The investigation into the blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, made little headway amid a smear campaign against investigative judge Tarek Bitar and the retreat of powerful Lebanese factions. Read more

He said the government would provide assistance to the families of the blast victims, adding that a plan had been formulated to rebuild the port, a vital lifeline for the country’s economy.

Many Lebanese, especially the families of the blast victims, are furious that no senior official has been held responsible more than a year later.

Bitar’s efforts to interrogate former state officials – including the prime minister at the time of the explosion, former ministers and senior security officials suspected of negligence – have been repeatedly denied.

Reporting by Lilian Wagdy Editing by Mark Heinrich

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