Ln June 3, survivors and victims of the catastrophic explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, held a new press conference to speak out against impunity for what is one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in modern history, which has ravaged their city, their homes, their bodies and their families.
Those who lost loved ones or were injured in the explosion of August 4, 2020 have successively expressed their deep frustration at the fact that, almost two years later, the politicians involved have succeeded in indefinitely suspending the investigation. Some of the politicians charged in the case were recently re-elected to parliament, and the government has given survivors little or no support to rebuild their lives.
Many families of victims knew that justice would be hard to come by in a country plagued by a culture of impunity that for decades has held senior officials unaccountable for serious crimes and human rights violations. They called on the international community to open an independent investigation under the aegis of the United Nations Human Rights Council, hoping that an impartial investigation would provide the answers that the Lebanese authorities have denied them.
For the past two years, Human Rights Watch has worked with the families of the victims to obtain the support necessary for such an investigation. We wrote letters to members of the Human Rights Council, held press conferences urging the international community to act, and met with diplomats in Beirut, Geneva and various capitals around the world. But the victims’ demands have been met with a wall of silence, apathy and obstruction.
A corrupt political class
France’s position was particularly disconcerting. President Emmanuel Macron visited Lebanon just two days after the explosion, walking through the devastated streets and promising To the population : “I’m not here to help them, I’m here to help you. » He told reporters that« il [fallait] an international, open and transparent investigation to prevent things from being hidden and doubts setting in”.
Despite criticism of neo-colonialism, many hoped that this visit would mark a turning point in France’s traditional policy towards Lebanon, which consists in unconditionally supporting an increasingly corrupt and incompetent political class through diplomatic overtures and multi-billion dollar donor conferences.
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