UN coordinator urges swift justice five years after Beirut blast
'Five years on, tragedy and pain are compounded by the glaring absence of justice,' Hennis-Plasschaert said in a statement Monday. 'Survivors and victims, and their families, deserve full accountability. And, they deserve it now.'
Her remarks follow a meeting last week with families of several victims of the 2020 blast, which killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, and leveled entire neighborhoods in the capital.
While noting recent signs of progress in the stalled investigation, the U.N. envoy urged the Lebanese government to 'take all necessary action' to advance judicial proceedings. She also welcomed Parliament's recent passage of the Judicial Independence Law, calling it a key step toward rebuilding public trust in state institutions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
an hour ago
- LBCI
Turkey sets up parliamentary commission to oversee PKK disarmament
Turkey's parliament launched a commission on Tuesday to oversee the disarmament of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group following its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's call for it to end its insurgency. Thirty PKK militants burned their weapons in a ceremony in northern Iraq last month, marking a symbolic first step towards ending a decades-long struggle with Turkey in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus told lawmakers at the opening of the first session that one of the commission's responsibilities would be to oversee the disarmament process. "With the complete disarmament, the preparation of legal regulations that will make peace permanent is also among the responsibilities of this commission," Kurtulmus said.
LBCI
an hour ago
- LBCI
Ali Larijani reappointed secretary of Iran's top security body
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to the supreme leader, as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday. The appointment takes place amid institutional changes following a 12-day air war with Israel in June, the Islamic Republic's most severe security challenge since a war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1980s. A former member of the Revolutionary Guards, Larijani held the same top security position from 2005 to 2007 and was parliamentary speaker from 2008 to 2020. He now replaces Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who had become SNSC secretary in 2023. On Sunday, Iran revived an Iraq war-era Defense Council to review defense plans and enhance the capabilities of its armed forces in a centralized manner. Both the Defense Council and the SNSC are headed by Iran's president. Reuters
LBCI
an hour ago
- LBCI
Hezbollah's Qassem: Lebanon's interest lies in restoring sovereignty, while Israel's interest is in weakening Lebanon
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem ruled out accepting any new agreements with Israel, insisting that the original deal, referring to the November 27 understanding, must be implemented first. "We reject any new agreement. Any proposed timeline that falls under the shadow of Israeli aggression is unacceptable," he declared. Qassem accused Israel of reneging on its commitments and said developments in Syria have pushed Israel to reconsider its previous stance. "Israel reversed the agreement and did not abide by it. What happened in Syria greatly influenced the steps Israel took, and it now regrets formulating the agreement," he added. In response to recent statements by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, Qassem said, "What Barrack proposed serves Israel entirely. His conditions—disarming Lebanon, the resistance, and the people—are completely in Israel's favor." He revealed that Barrack's proposal includes disarming Hezbollah within 30 days, even down to hand grenades and mortar shells, which he described as "simple weapons." He also warned of a wider conflict: "If Israel launches a broader war on Lebanon, rockets will fall upon it." Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah had facilitated the Lebanese state's responsibilities under the November 27 deal, but stressed that Lebanon's priority remains "restoring sovereignty and achieving liberation," while "Israel's interest lies in weakening Lebanon." Qassem reiterated that Lebanon's interest lies in restoring sovereignty and liberation, while Israel's interest is in weakening Lebanon. He also stressed that the issue of resistance against Israel must be decided through national consensus and that disarmament should not be tied to any timeline.
