Three Lebanese female judges have resigned from their positions in protest against the increasing frequency of political interventions that are obstructing the judiciary's work in Lebanon. According to a judicial source reported by the French Press Agency on Thursday, a prominent manifestation of these interventions appeared in the investigation into the Beirut port explosion.
In Lebanon, a country based on political and sectarian quotas, the judiciary is not immune to favoritism, as politics interferes even in appointments, particularly in the Higher Judicial Council, the highest judicial authority. The judicial source, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, stated that the three judges submitted their resignations on Wednesday "in protest against the difficult situation that the judiciary has reached and the political interventions in the work of the judicial authority, as well as the doubts cast on the decisions issued by judges and courts in most files," especially the port explosion.
Political Maze
The investigation into the port explosion has become mired in political mazes and judicial chaos. Since taking over the investigation about a year ago, investigating judge Tarek Bitar has faced 16 lawsuits filed in various courts, seeking to suspend him and transfer the case to another judge, leading to the suspension of the investigation multiple times. Most of the lawsuits were filed by officials implicated in the case. After several courts rejected the lawsuits for various reasons, judges found themselves facing lawsuits filed by these officials to challenge the validity of their decisions.
The judicial source explained that among the three judges is one who dismissed a lawsuit to recuse Bitar, and the legality of her decision was questioned. He stated that the ongoing challenges to judicial decisions "have begun to undermine the judiciary's prestige."
Beirut Explosion Exposes the Reality
According to the source, the head of the Higher Judicial Council refused to accept or register the resignation letters and promised to discuss the matter at the council's next meeting. The investigation into the Beirut port explosion has revealed the weakness of the judicial body in Lebanon and the extent of political intervention in its work, especially when it does not serve their interests. The issues do not stop with the explosion file, as the investigation into the embezzlement of public funds and tax evasion involving Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh was also suspended following a lawsuit filed by an attorney representing one of the banks against public prosecutor Jean Tannous, who is looking into the matter.
