Justice Minister Adel Nassar on Monday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to pursuing justice in the August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion, pledging that those responsible will be held accountable and that the investigation is nearing its final stages.

Speaking at a memorial event organized by the Kataeb Party at its central headquarters in Saifi to honor the victims of the deadly blast, Nassar paid tribute to Nazar Najarian, the former Secretary-General of the Kataeb Party, who was among the 232 people killed in the explosion.

“It made me reflect on a life he had devoted to his country; a life of immense sacrifice. His brother had also been killed, yet he chose to return to Lebanon, only to lose his life as well in the explosion.”

The Justice Minister underscored the government’s responsibility to ensure the investigation leads to justice.

“There is a tremendous responsibility on our shoulders regarding this crime,” he said. “First, to see the investigation through to the end, then to issue an indictment that must be followed by actual accountability. An indictment alone is not enough.”

Nassar noted that the obstruction that had stalled the probe in recent years has now come to an end, and that lead investigative judge Tarek Bitar is actively pursuing the case.

“The judicial investigator has resumed his work and has reached the final and advanced stages of the investigation,” Nassar said. “Once this phase is complete, we will enter the accountability stage.”

He acknowledged the growing frustration and expectations of the victims’ families and survivors, stressing that their demands are legitimate.

“The families of the victims, and the survivors, are holding us accountable, and they are right to do so,” he said. “Any state that is unable to prosecute those responsible for a crime of this scale is a state stripped of legitimacy.”