Lebanese Judge Flies to Bulgaria, Avoids Lebanese Power Brokers
Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator for the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, is reportedly in Bulgaria to question the owner of the ship that brought 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to Lebanon. This move, hailed as a step forward, conveniently sidesteps the consistent stonewalling, political interference, and parliamentary immunity requests that have plagued the investigation within Lebanon
itself. While pursuing an international maritime figure is noteworthy, it also highlights the systemic paralysis at home. The blast, which killed over 200 and devastated half the city, has seen zero accountability among top Lebanese officials who demonstrably knew about the dangerous material. One might wonder if justice is only possible when it’s geographically distant from ruling elites.