Brussels - Beirut: Europe and the Arabs
On the third anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion, the International Support Group for Lebanon regretted the lack of progress in the judicial process regarding this case, and called on the authorities to remove all obstacles to achieving justice, and to facilitate the completion of an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation. According to the United Nations news bulletin, of which we received a copy on Friday morning
In a statement issued yesterday, Thursday, the group said that the families of the victims and the Lebanese people are still waiting for truth, justice and accountability for the catastrophic explosion that killed more than two hundred and twenty people and injured and displaced thousands on August 4, 2020.
The group added, "Ensuring judicial accountability and combating impunity is an integral part of restoring the credibility of the Lebanese state institutions. The stalemate surrounding the investigation into the port explosion confirms the urgent need to protect the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the Lebanese judiciary."
Members of the Support Group - which includes the United Nations, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the Governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America - expressed their solidarity with the families of the victims "and all those whose lives, homes and livelihoods have been severely affected by this tragic event."
And they called on the Lebanese Parliament to expedite the enactment of legislation to enhance the independence of the judiciary in line with international standards.