Relatives of the Port victims: Any decision that does not summon everyone is incomplete, and we consider it political

The “Families of Martyrs, Wounded, and Affected by the Beirut Port Explosion” gathering commemorated the sixth anniversary of the blast with a sit-in in front of the Justice Palace and then at the Beirut Port, where a statement was delivered on behalf of the gathering, and the event concluded with the laying of floral wreaths in memory of the victims.

Ibrahim Hattit, speaking on behalf of the families, stated that “any arbitrary decision that does not summon everyone is an incomplete and flawed arbitrary decision, and therefore we consider it a political decision.”

Inside the Beirut Port premises, victims’ families held up portraits of the deceased and banners demanding justice and the trial of those responsible for their children’s deaths, in front of the memorial plaque bearing the names of Lebanese and foreign victims who perished in the August 4, 2020 explosion. The event was attended by Justice Minister Adel Nassar, Media Minister and lawyer Dr. Paul Marqous, Social Affairs Minister Haneen Al-Sayyid, the Papal Nuncio to Lebanon Paolo Borgia, former minister Ziad Baroud, the European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Beirut Bar Association President Imad Martini, and a large gathering of ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, and diplomatic missions from the United States, Australia, and European countries, along with activists and a large number of victims’ families.

In a private meeting with the Justice Minister, Nassar emphasized that “the arbitrary decision will be issued, and the trial will follow; this is the state’s duty, not a favor, and it is your right and the right of all Lebanese,” stressing that “the case concerns all of Lebanon.”