On Sunday evening, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam inaugurated the "August 4 Victims Street" near the entrance to the port.
“Take your hands off the judiciary,” he declared from this symbolic location, emphasizing that there would be no compromise when it comes to justice. “Truth is the mother of justice,” he added, quoting a well-known saying.
He reaffirmed that no one is above accountability, stating that the government would facilitate everything required by the judiciary in the course of the investigation.
In response to a question from Al Arabiya, the Prime Minister stressed that the ministerial statement reaffirms the need for all weapons to be under the exclusive authority of the state.
During a dialogue session held at the National Library in Sanayeh, dedicated to discussing the repercussions of the port explosion, five years after the tragedy, Salam stressed the “national and unifying” nature of the quest for truth and justice for the victims.
“There is no sovereignty without accountability, and no rule of law without justice,” he declared, identifying the culture of impunity as “a major cause of the country’s collapses and crimes.” He affirmed that a fair trial is a right for the victims and a duty for the state, adding that the law on judicial independence is a key step toward uncovering the truth.
Reiterating that “no one is above justice,” the head of government asserted that “truth is the mother of justice” and that no reconciliation is possible without establishing responsibility. He also emphasized that “the decision to keep weapons solely in the hands of the state is irreversible” and that “the authority to declare war or peace belongs solely to the state.”
Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed, speaking “as a member of the victims’ families,” stressed that the aim of this effort is to build justice and reconciliation, and announced that her ministry will include the explosion’s victims in the national program and issue them disability cards.
Comments