Cases being filed abroad against those responsible for Beirut blast: report

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Dozens of criminal cases are being prepared to be filed in several European countries, on behalf of the victims of the Beirut port explosion, against the possible perpetrators of that “crime.” A source at Accountability Now said cases are being prepared in Germany, France, Belgium, Croatia, and the UK.

Accountability Now, a Swiss-based human rights organization who is represented by Zeina Wakim, launched a call on January 25 for European passport holders to file criminal complaints in their national jurisdictions, in light of the obstruction of the Lebanese investigation and the attempt to isolate the judicial investigator, Judge Tarek Bitar, from the case.

This article is originally published in, translated from the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.

Especially since among the victims of the Beirut port explosion there are those who are Lebanese and hold a foreign nationality, just as among the victims are foreigners, as courts in their countries of origin can open criminal investigations into the explosion, which may lead to indictments being filed in these countries with the suspension of the Lebanese investigation.

A concerned source confirmed that the organization had received "dozens" of cases from individuals seeking legal representation in their national jurisdictions since last week.

There are calls supported by Accountability Now for the formation of an independent international fact-finding mission in the explosion under the United Nations Human Rights Council, with the same source indicating that "the work of that mission can complete investigations inside and outside." Lebanon, and the mission can be formed without Lebanon's consent.