Beirut: The Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion met Information Minister Paul Morcos on Thursday to thank him for his support, while renewing their call for the long-awaited indictment in the case ahead of the sixth anniversary of the blast.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the delegation included lawyer C©cile Roukoz, Lara Hajiban, and Elie Bou Saab. Speaking after the meeting, Roukoz stated that the victims' families were still awaiting the issuance of the indictment and noted that no officials had yet been referred to trial before the Judicial Council. She mentioned that the annual commemoration on Aug. 4 would go ahead and continue until all those responsible for the explosion, which killed more than 200 people and devastated large parts of Beirut, are referred to trial and held accountable. Roukoz added that a march would also be held on Aug. 4, with details to be announced later.
Roukoz expressed gratitude to Morcos for his continued support and submitted several requests, including declaring Aug. 4 a nationwide closure for both public and private institutions instead of limiting the occasion to a national day of mourning. The families also urged the minister to request television and radio stations to adapt their programming to mark the anniversary and dedicate airtime to videos highlighting the victims and their stories.
Roukoz emphasized that the victims' families believe those responsible for storing ammonium nitrate at the Port of Beirut should be held accountable. She also criticized the release of several defendants in January 2023, arguing that they remain free despite the gravity of the case.
Responding to a question about delays in the investigation, Roukoz said Investigative Judge Tarek Bitar completed his inquiries on March 30, 2026, after receiving all outstanding judicial responses, and referred the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Cassation for its opinion. She noted that Lebanese law sets no deadline for the prosecutor's review but said the victims' families would continue pressing for the process to be expedited so that Bitar can issue the indictment once the opinion is received.