38 countries call for impartial investigation into Beirut Blast at UN Human Rights Council

News Bulletin Reports
2023-03-07 | 11:52
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38 countries call for impartial investigation into Beirut Blast at UN Human Rights Council
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38 countries call for impartial investigation into Beirut Blast at UN Human Rights Council

In a significant move, a joint statement was issued by more than 30 countries at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva condemning the systematic obstruction, interference, intimidation, and political impasse hampering Lebanon's investigation into the cause of the Beirut port explosion.

The statement was read out by the delegate representing Australia on behalf of the group of 38 countries. The signatory countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

The statement expresses solidarity with all the victims and their families, calling on Lebanon to uphold its international human rights obligations by taking all necessary measures to safeguard in law and in practice the full independence and impartiality of the Lebanese judiciary. 

The countries are urging the Lebanese authorities to uphold the victims' rights to effective remedy and adequate, effective, and prompt reparation for harm suffered. 

"These steps are crucial for accountability, access to justice for the victims of the explosion, their families, and the fulfillment of the rights of the Lebanese people."

The joint statement also emphasized that the right of the people in Lebanon to peacefully express their call for justice and accountability must be respected. 

A follow-up statement issued in Beirut by several relevant organizations said that the move came after sustained efforts by the families of the victims of the August 4 crime in collaboration with international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Legal Action Worldwide, and coordination and international and local monitoring by Kulluna Irada organization, the National Bloc Party, and continuous support from "Noun" group and expatriate, human rights, and local political groups. 

"In this context, more than one message was addressed to the Human Rights Council, and more than one statement was issued, the latest being by 43 deputies in the Lebanese Parliament," the organizations added.

The organizations added that the statement is considered a first step towards forming an international fact-finding committee on crime during the upcoming sessions of the Council. 

"These efforts will continue, especially during the next session of the Human Rights Council in June 2023, with the aim of issuing a decision by the Council to form an international fact-finding committee on crime. This comes in light of the continued suspension of the internal investigation into the crime, the intervention to obstruct justice, and the approach of impunity dominating the principles of accountability and justice," the statement added.

Lebanon News

News Bulletin Reports

UN

United Nations

Beirut

Lebanon

Port

Blast

Humans Right Council

Geneva

Investigation

Explosion

Politics

Government

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