Relatives of 2020 Beirut blast victims questioned
(16 Jan 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut, Lebanon - 16 January 2023
1. William Noun, who lost his brother in Beirut explosion, posing for photograph, making V-sign before entering police station in Beirut
2. Noun and Peter Bou Saab, who also lost his brother in explosion, entering police station
3. Various of protesters, including relatives of victims, protesting in front of police station, holding posters of loved ones
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) William Noun, brother of Beirut blast victim:
"Our problem is not with the judiciary, it's with those who blew up the port. And if the confrontation becomes between the families of the victims and judiciary then those who blew up the port will be pleased. We are not going let our anger and reaction serve someone else's motives. We want to say that there was a reaction, and we hold ourselves responsible for it of course. We have been demanding justice from the rule of law and judiciary, and we will never avoid coming to questioning. But at the same time, they need to resume the August 4 investigation and enforce the law on everyone. They need to question who's responsible just like they asked us to come to questioning."
5. Various of protesters, holding placards demanding justice and photos of loved ones lost in the explosion
6. Lebanese flag
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) William Noun, brother of Beirut blast victim:
"We want justice, and we want everyone who blew up the port to be held accountable, regardless of their political or religious affiliation."
8. Wide of protesters in front of police station
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Em Ahmad (full name not given) mother of Ahmad Kaadan, who was killed in the blast:
"Sadly in this country, those who demand justice are detained, and the criminals are walking free. We are the families of the victims. Our loved ones were killed, while they are with their children and evading justice unfortunately."
10. Various of protest
STORYLINE:
Several relatives of the victims of the massive 2020 explosion at Beirut's port showed up on Monday to answer questions by police after they were accused of rioting and vandalism during protests over the stalled investigation into the blast.
The rioting last week saw the relatives hurl rocks at the Beirut Justice Palace and burn tires outside the building, decrying years of what they say is political interference in the probe.
The Aug. 4, 2020 explosion killed more than 215 people, injured 6,000 and devastated entire neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital after hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizers, detonated in a port warehouse.
It later emerged the chemical was shipped to Lebanon in 2013 and stored improperly at the warehouse.
A handful of senior political and security officials knew of its presence and the threat it imposed on the city but failed to take action to remove it.
Judge Tarek Bitar’s investigation into the disaster has been frozen since December 2021 after politicians he had charged in the case filed legal challenges to the probe.
No one has been tried or convicted over the blast.
The families of the port blast victims have long campaigned for an uninterrupted investigation and have frequently protested and held monthly vigils.
Some of the families and Lebanese activists, as well as human rights organizations, have urged the United Nations to investigate the blast.
On Monday, 13 relatives of blast victims showed up to answer police summons over the rioting.
They say the elite's lock on power has kept its members immune from accountability.
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