Hizbullah Dubs Indictment in Port Blast as ‘Politicized’

Hizbullah on Friday blasted as “politicized” the lead investigator’s decision to indict caretaker PM Hassan Diab and three allied ex-ministers over Beirut’s colossal port explosion on August 4.

The group called on the investigating judge Fadi Sawwan to reconsider his decision, saying it lacked a legal and constitutional basis and that the four were being selectively charged.

In a statement, the party said it is “keen to ensure that all measures taken by the investigating judge are far from politics, conform to the provisions of the Constitution, and are made on logical and legal grounds, which we did not find in the recent procedures.”

Hizbullah added that “we categorically reject the absence of unified standards which we believe has politically targeted some individuals while unfairly ignoring others.”

Hizbullah urged the “competent investigating judge to re-approach this important file again and to take legal measures to ensure that the desired truth is reached by unified standards totally far from politicization.”

Sawan on Thursday, charged with negligence outgoing premier Hassan Diab and former ministers of finance, Ali Hasan Khalil, public works, Yousef Fenianos, and transport, Ghazi Zaiter.

Diab, who is backed by Hizbullah, resigned in the wake of the Aug. 4 explosion and remains in his post in a caretaker capacity, as Lebanese officials have failed to agree on a new Cabinet.

The four were the most senior officials to be charged in the investigation and are set to be questioned next week by investigating judge Fadi Sawwan. He was named by the government to the post a few days after the explosion, and has been conducting his probe mostly in secrecy.

The explosion in the port was caused by the ignition of a large stockpile of explosive material that had been stored at the port for six years, with the knowledge of top security officials and politicians who did nothing about it. It killed more than 200 people and wounded thousands, devastating large parts of the capital Beirut.

The decision to charge senior officials — including one in office — was significant in Lebanon, where a culture of impunity has prevailed for decades, including among the entrenched political elites.