On May 4, families of the victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion gathered once again to mark the 57th monthly vigil since the disaster, renewing their calls for justice and condemning what they described as a prolonged obstruction of justice.
“The truth is still being withheld, justice is being denied and the criminals remain free,” the families said in a statement issued following their sit-in. They held both public officials and members of the judiciary directly responsible for blocking the path to justice. “We hold those who hindered the probe directly responsible for the continued injustice.”
Reaffirming their unwavering commitment, the families vowed to persist in their peaceful struggle. “We will not stay silent until the full truth is revealed and every individual involved—whether through action, negligence or concealment—is held accountable,” the statement read.
Calling again for an independent judiciary, the statement warned against ongoing political interference that threatens to “bury the truth.”
They also reiterated calls for an independent judiciary and warned against ongoing political interference that they say aims to bury the truth. “The blood of our children is not a bargaining chip,” they warned. “History will not absolve the accomplice—whether they wear a judge’s robe, a politician’s suit or a diplomat’s tie.”
The families addressed Lebanon’s top officials, including President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Minister of Justice, urging them to uphold their responsibilities. They noted what they described as “positive and significant progress” in the investigation in recent weeks.
“In the name of those unjustly killed, we pledge not to retreat, not to forget and not to forgive,” the families concluded.
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