On the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a recently promised accountability pledge, declaring that “justice is coming.” The August 4, 2020, blast—caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored for years in a warehouse—killed more than 220 people, wounded over 6,500, and devastated the Lebanese capital.
Despite the scale of the disaster, not one government official has faced prosecution. Aoun’s remarks that “the law applies to all, without exception” echo years of empty rhetoric from a political class mired in corruption, foreign influence, and institutional collapse. Victims’ families gathered Monday for rallies near the blast site, demanding the long-overdue justice Aoun and others continue to promise.
Judge Tarek Bitar, who resumed the stalled investigation after Iran-backed Hezbollah previously called for his removal, has now completed questioning suspects. Yet the timeline for justice remains unclear, as Bitar awaits foreign cooperation and bureaucratic clearance. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called accountability “a national issue,” but Lebanon’s record of impunity casts serious doubt on those words.
“For five years, officials have been trying to evade accountability, always thinking they are above the law,” said Mariana Fodoulian, whose sister died in the explosion. Her vow was clear: “We won’t stop until we get comprehensive justice.”
