Amnesty International Accuses Lebanese Authorities of "Brazenly" Obstructing Port Investigation

On the third anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, Aya Majzoub, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office for Amnesty International, noted that "the Lebanese authorities have had three years to investigate the causes of the devastating explosion that occurred at the Beirut port and to hold those suspected of criminal responsibility accountable. However, to this day, no one has been held accountable for the tragedy that occurred on August 4, 2020." She continued: "Instead, the authorities have used every means at their disposal to undermine and obstruct the local investigation in a 'brazen' manner to protect themselves from responsibility – entrenching a culture of impunity in the country." She affirmed that "the international community has repeatedly condemned the blatant political interference by the authorities in the local investigation, including in a joint statement issued at the United Nations Human Rights Council earlier this year." Majzoub highlighted that "today, more than 300 Lebanese and international civil society organizations, individuals, survivors, and families of victims are once again urging the Human Rights Council to promptly initiate the establishment of an international fact-finding mission to investigate the causes of the Beirut port explosion and identify those responsible for this disaster."