The families of the Beirut Port explosion victims denounced on Monday “certain paid voices affiliated with parties that have already threatened and obstructed the investigation.”
They accused these groups of targeting William Noun, brother of firefighter Joe Noun, who was killed in the August 4 blast, with allegations of “collaboration with the enemy (Israel) and incitement of sectarian strife.”
“These claims bear no connection to reality, and their timing is highly suspicious,” the families said in a statement.
Noun was summoned for questioning on Friday following a complaint filed against him by lawyer Hassan Ibrahim, known for his ties to Hezbollah.
The committee representing the families also warned these “mouthpieces” of the consequences of their “suspicious actions,” noting that the judge who began interrogating Noun, Sabouh Sleiman, is the same one who previously issued controversial rulings in the port investigation, including suspending the arrest warrant against former minister Youssef Fenianos, an ally of Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh.
Fenianos was sanctioned by the US Treasury in September 2020 for corruption and support for Hezbollah.
The families stressed the importance of “shielding the case of the largest explosion in history from the maze of malicious voices seeking to silence and intimidate victims’ relatives by associating them with crimes for which they bear no responsibility.”
They concluded by reiterating that “what affects one, affects all,” vowing never to “stop speaking out or acting responsibly” until their goal, “that all those responsible for the explosion are held accountable,” is achieved.
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