On Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called for the replacement of the chief investigator into the devastating Beirut port explosion, stating that he is biased and politicized, marking the strongest criticism of Judge Tarek Bitar since his appointment. In televised statements, he said, "The targeting is clear. You go after certain ministers and certain people — it’s obvious there’s selectivity (bias)," adding that Judge Bitar will never reach the truth if he continues the investigation. Nasrallah explicitly called for changing Bitar, stating he wants an impartial judge. Bitar is not allowed to speak to the media in his capacity as an investigating judge.
The investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion — one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history — has made little progress amid a campaign against Bitar and opposition from powerful Lebanese factions. The explosion killed over 200 people, injured thousands, and destroyed large parts of the capital, yet no senior officials have been held accountable. A journalist and a judicial source reported that Wafiq Safa, a senior official in the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah, threatened Bitar last month, saying the group would remove him from the investigation. The Minister of Justice and the judiciary are looking into the matter of the threat.
Hezbollah has become one of the strongest political players in Lebanon in recent years. Bitar's efforts to interrogate former and current state officials — including the then-Prime Minister during the explosion, former ministers, and senior security figures — on suspicion of negligence have been repeatedly rejected. Legal complaints have been filed questioning his neutrality. The investigation was halted for a week earlier this month while one such complaint was considered, which the court ultimately rejected. Bitar has scheduled sessions to question former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and former Public Works Minister Ghazi Zeaiter this week, both of whom are Hezbollah allies, but their attendance is not expected.
While Bitar has sought to question many politicians allied with Hezbollah, he has not sought to question any members of the group itself. Bitar is the second judge thwarted by powerful factions in Lebanon; the lack of accountability for any high-ranking officials is attributed to systemic corruption, political stagnation, and economic collapse. A Lebanese court dismissed his predecessor, Fadi Sawan, in February after a complaint was filed against him by a former official accusing him of negligence.
