Lebanon’s new government must take decisive steps to ensure the full independence of its judiciary and allow the investigation into the August 2020 Beirut port explosion to proceed without obstruction, urged survivors, families of the victims, and 18 rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch.

In a joint letter sent to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Justice Minister Adel Nassar, these groups called for the removal of legal and political barriers hindering the pursuit of justice and accountability.

“Public statements by Lebanon’s prime minister and justice minister in support of the investigation into the Beirut blast are encouraging signs after years of repeated obstruction by Lebanese authorities,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. “But the government must now turn these commitments into action by collaborating with parliament to dismantle the legal and political barriers that have hindered the investigation and blocked justice.”

The Beirut port explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, occurred on August 4, 2020, and was caused by a massive amount of improperly stored ammonium nitrate. A Human Rights Watch investigation found that the explosion resulted from the government’s failure to protect the right to life and suggested the potential involvement of senior Lebanese officials. Despite the magnitude of the disaster, Lebanese authorities have consistently obstructed the investigation, shielding implicated politicians and officials from questioning, prosecution, and arrest.

In early February 2025, investigative judge Tarek Bitar resumed the investigation after a two-year hiatus marked by interference. Bitar’s previous attempt to continue his work in January 2023 had been thwarted by then top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, who filed a lawsuit against Bitar, suspending the investigation. Oueidat’s actions included releasing all suspects and forbidding security forces and the public prosecution office from cooperating with Bitar.

However, earlier this month, Lebanon’s interim public prosecutor, Jamal Hajjar, annulled Oueidat’s decision, clearing the path for Bitar to resume his work with Lebanon’s security agencies and the Public Prosecution Office. This collaboration will be crucial in securing justice for the victims, the joint letter emphasized.

The signatories of the letter called for a thorough investigation, one that not only examines the warehousing of ammonium nitrate but also delves into the roles of all individuals and entities involved in the events leading up to the explosion. They underscored the need to identify any human rights violations related to Lebanon’s failure to protect the right to life, including politically sensitive murders that might be connected to the blast.

Despite these recent developments, the independence of the investigation—and of the judiciary as a whole—remains at risk without significant reform, the signatories warned. Lebanese and international rights groups have long documented the pervasive political interference in the judiciary, pointing to repeated failures to conduct impartial investigations into politically sensitive cases. This has allowed a culture of impunity to take root.

Currently under parliamentary committee review are two critical draft laws: one from 2018 concerning the independence and transparency of the judiciary, and another from 2020 regarding the administrative judiciary. Lebanese rights groups have criticized attempts to amend these bills in ways that would violate international standards. The European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission) has issued two opinions on these draft laws, offering recommendations to align them with international standards.

In March 2023, nine members of Lebanon’s parliament introduced two draft laws aimed at strengthening the independence of judicial investigations and preventing political interference by amending certain provisions of Lebanon’s Civil and Criminal Procedure Codes. These amendments seek to address the legal mechanisms that have been exploited to paralyze investigations, including those into the Beirut port explosion and financial crimes.

It is crucial that Lebanon’s government works with parliament to adopt laws that align with the Venice Commission’s recommendations, the letter’s signatories said. In addition, they called for immediate reforms to Lebanon’s civil and criminal procedure codes to eliminate provisions that have been used to obstruct investigations into criminal and civil cases.

“It’s better late than never for Lebanon’s government to stand by victims, survivors, and the people of Beirut,” said Kaiss. “But breaking from decades of impunity requires concrete, critical steps to bolster judicial independence as a top priority.”