The Lebanese Forces Party considered that any local investigation into the Beirut port explosion cannot reach any conclusion.
In a statement commenting on the suspension of Judge Fadi Sawwan in the port case, the President of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, stated: "Unfortunately, what we expected has occurred, and Judge Sawwan has been suspended from the port case after various obstacles were placed in his way. No one can convince us that any local investigation can lead us to any serious outcome regarding the port crime."
Geagea demanded in his statement that the President of the Republic and the caretaker Prime Minister send an immediate request to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, asking for the establishment of an international fact-finding committee to uncover the circumstances of the port crime. He added, "I say this while I am fully convinced that the ruling group will not take this step, but I am doing it merely to express my discontent." He pointed out that there is no hope remaining with the current ruling group, stating, "The only solution is to immediately restructure this authority, and there is no way to achieve that except through early parliamentary elections." He explained that the "Strong Republic" bloc will sign a petition and direct it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the same purpose.
Earlier today, the investigating judge, Judge Fadi Sawwan, was informed upon arriving at his office of the decision by the Criminal Cassation Court to suspend him from considering the port explosion case, while the public prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Khoury, referred the decision to the caretaker Minister of Justice, Marie Claude Najm. This step was criticized by human rights organizations as it comes under evident political pressure, especially given that the investigation has not yielded any announced results six months after the tragedy.
