Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Beirut port blast investigator denied request to question Lebanon security chief over devastating explosion

Beirut port blast investigator denied request to question Lebanon security chief over devastating explosion

A request by the lead investigator into the explosion in the Port of Beirut last year to interrogate Lebanon’s security chief over the disaster has been turned down by a minister, a spokesperson and local reports have said.
On August 4, 2020, some 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in poor conditions at the port exploded, killing more than 200 people, injuring more than 6,500 and destroying swathes of the Lebanese capital.

Judge Tarek Bitar was appointed lead investigator into the disaster in February after his predecessor Fadi Sawan was removed following complaints from two ministers charged with negligence over the explosion.

On Friday, Bitar was told that his request to grill Major General Abbas Ibrahim, head of the General Directorate of General Security, had been rejected by Interim Interior Minister Mohamed Fahmi.

Reuters reported it had seen an official letter confirming the rejection of Bitar’s request, while the move was also confirmed by an informal spokesman for Ibrahim, Salem Zahran, in an interview with local radio.

In a statement Ibrahim said the investigation was becoming a “political tool” to defame him, but that he would cooperate with the authorities.

“I am not above the law, and I will appear before the judiciary when things are moving according to administrative and legal frameworks,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying.

The families of the victims of the blast have condemned the rejection of Bitar’s attempt to question Ibrahim and the fact that no one has so far been held responsible for the tragedy.

On Friday afternoon some family members blocked off a road in Beirut and protested outside the Ministry of Interior.

They also condemned politicians’ use of parliamentary immunity and their refusals to be questioned about the explosion.

Bitar’s predecessor Sawan had charged three former ministers and the former prime minister Hassan Diab with negligence, but they refused to be questioned. All deny any wrongdoing.

Lebanese lawmakers on Friday were looking at a proposal by Bitar for the three ministers’ immunity to be lifted.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
×