French delegation heads to Beirut to deliver findings on 2020 port explosion

A French judicial delegation is expected to visit Beirut on Monday to hand over its findings into the massive 2020 port explosion in the Lebanese capital.

The delegation will reportedly meet investigating Judge Tarek Bitar, the head of Lebanon’s Supreme Judicial Council, Suhail Abboud, Public Prosecutor Jamal Hajjar, and Justice Minister Adel Nassar.

The visit coincides with the investigations recently resumed by Bitar, who has summoned and questioned a number of senior officials, including Hassan Diab, the prime minister at the time of the blast, as well as other ministers and security officials suspected of "negligence and misconduct."

Diab was questioned for more than two hours on Friday and left the court without speaking to the press. However, his attorney described the cross-examination with Bitar as "good."

Bitar resumed his investigation in January after being forced to suspend it in 2021 due to political pressure. He was accused of bias, and several officials named in the probe launched a series of legal proceedings against him. Hezbollah — the Iran-backed militant group that once held significant influence over the Lebanese government before being severely weakened in last year’s war with Israel — had also demanded Bitar’s removal.

The judge restarted his inquiry after Joseph Aoun was elected president and Nawaf Salam, himself a judge, was appointed prime minister earlier this year. Both pledged to uphold judicial independence.

The catastrophic blast on 4 August 2020 — one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history — devastated large parts of Beirut and was so powerful it was felt in Cyprus. It killed more than 220 people and injured over 6,500 others.

The explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been unsafely stored for years after arriving by ship, despite repeated warnings to senior officials.

Quoting an anonymous judicial source, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said the French delegation includes two judges leading the French investigation into the explosion, which killed three French nationals and injured dozens more.

The source confirmed that "the Lebanese and French sides will exchange information that will benefit the investigations and accelerate their work."

Bitar will receive a comprehensive technical report prepared by French experts who arrived in Beirut from Paris on 5 August 2020, the day after the explosion. French forensic teams, along with the FBI, had joined the probe that day to gather evidence.

"They worked on the ground for more than two weeks, inspecting the damage, collecting samples, and conducting a field survey," the judicial source said.

Lebanon had previously received three French reports: one related to soil analysis, another using satellite imagery, and a third technical assessment. However, the new report is described as comprehensive and will help address outstanding questions in Bitar’s investigation.

The source revealed that "the French delegation is coming to Lebanon at Bitar’s request to review the latest information obtained by the French side and to update them on developments in the case from the Lebanese side."

Bitar had filed a request with the French authorities before withdrawing it in late 2022 - citing the lawsuits filed against him - without receiving a response.

"There are some matters that must be completed abroad, and the judicial investigator will issue a summons to several countries regarding the MV Rhosus cargo ship, the nitrate shipment and its route, and the companies and individuals who purchased it. However, this step has been postponed until after the arrival of the French report, which is expected to address points that still require clarification."