Explosion of the port of Beirut: deadly demonstration against the judge in charge of the investigation
Audio 01:22
Supporters of the Shiite movements Hezbollah and Amal demonstrating in front of the Beirut courthouse against Judge Bitar, October 14, 2021. AP - Hussein Malla
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In Beirut, clashes left at least six dead and around 20 injured.
A demonstration took place this Thursday morning against Judge Bitar.
The magistrate in charge of the investigation into the explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital is facing a violent offensive from the Shiite parties Amal and Hezbollah.
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From our correspondent in Beirut
,
Noé Pignède
Several deputies and former ministers close to the Shiite Amal and Hezbollah parties are to be heard as part of the investigation.
But for the moment they are trying to escape.
Their support was gathered in the streets of the capital.
In front of the Beirut courthouse, hundreds of young men in black shout their hatred towards Judge Bitar, the magistrate in charge of the investigation into the port of Beirut, who left more than 250 dead and 5,000 injured
on August 4 2020
.
Almost none wave flags of the Shiite movements Amal and Hezbollah to which they belong, replaced by Lebanese flags.
"This legal procedure is illegal"
Hussein Abou Zeid is a lawyer and supporter of the Amal party.
He denounces the relentlessness of Judge Bitar against Shiite politicians, in the context of the investigation into the explosion of the port.
“
We consider this legal process to be illegal.
There is a clear violation of laws and procedure
, he believes.
Judge Bitar draws conclusions outside of any legal framework, and which are likely political.
We have here a judge who prefers to give his personal opinion, rather than sticking to the facts, it is unbelievable!
There are very clear laws, and he cannot pretend they don't exist.
"
► To read also
: Explosion of the port of Beirut: the instruction of judge Tarek Bitar manhandled by Hezbollah
Quickly, the tension mounts.
Exchanges of fire between the militias dispersed the demonstrators in the surrounding streets.
This member of the Amal party, who will not give his name, accuses the Christian militia of the Lebanese forces of having targeted the procession.
“
It's Samir Geagea's men shooting at us.
We did not want violence
, he assures us.
We want justice for the explosion and Judge Bitar is not a man of justice.
Everyone knows who let the nitrate enter Lebanon: the army chief Joseph Aoun, the Prime Minister Najib Mikati… All those!
But the United States only wants to condemn our leader Nabih Berri and his friends, and let the others go free.
"
The army has been massively deployed in the streets of Beirut.
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