Latest news with #Bitar
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Oueidat once again absent from interrogation with Judge Bitar over Aug. 4 port explosion
Former public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oueidat, did not appear at the interrogation session scheduled for Monday before investigating judge at the Court of Justice, Tarek Bitar, who had summoned him as part of his investigation into the explosion that occurred at Beirut Port on Aug. 4, 2020. Judge Bitar decided to 'not summon Judge Oueidat again and to postpone any decision regarding him until the indictment is issued,' in accordance with the approach adopted for 'other people recently questioned,' reported the state-run National News Agency (NNA). On July 11, Oueidat declined to appear. He had not been notified of the hearing by the judicial police and had been summoned via the Public Prosecution, according to a high-ranking judicial source cited by L'Orient-Le Jour. Judge Bitar then set a new hearing for July 21, 10 days later. In January 2023, Oueidat prohibited the Public Prosecution and the judicial police from cooperating with Bitar in the port investigation. This ban was lifted on March 10, 2025, by the new public prosecutor, Jamal Hajjar, after 26 months of deadlock. On July 4, it was Amal MP and former minister Ghazi Zeaiter who did not appear at his hearing, choosing to be represented by his lawyer, Samer al-Hajj. A new summons was set for July 18, which Zeaiter also failed to attend. On Aug. 4, 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history devastated a large part of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring 6,500. The blast was caused by a fire in a port warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored without precaution, despite repeated warnings to the highest authorities, who were accused of negligence. Judge Bitar had to suspend his investigations in January 2023, faced with hostility from much of the political class, notably Hezbollah, as well as a series of legal actions brought against him. He resumed his investigation at the beginning of 2025 and has already questioned several former officials, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and former Interior Minister Nohad Mashnouk.
Nahar Net
6 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Zoaiter and Oueidat refuse to appear before Bitar in port case
Former public works and transport minister Ghazi Zoaiter on Friday failed to appear before Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, the National News Agency said. Zoaiter's lawyer Samer al-Hajj, however, attended the session, NNA added. 'In light of Zoaiter's failure to show up, the judicial investigator postponed taking a decision against him until the issuance of the indictment,' the agency said. Former state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat had on Thursday refused to receive a subpoena summoning him to interrogation before Bitar on July 21, calling the later 'ineligible and lacking jurisdiction.' In a written response, Oueidat considered the subpoena as null and void and said Bitar lacks 'legitimacy.' During his term as state prosecutor, Oueidat had charged Bitar for "rebelling against the judiciary" and slapped him with a travel ban. Oueidat said that he charged Bitar in order to "prevent sedition." He also summoned Bitar for questioning. Moreover, Oueidat ordered the release of all suspects detained in connection with the deadly 2020 port blast. "Security forces' enforcement of the state prosecutor's order to release the detainees will be a coup against the law," Bitar told al-Jadeed at the time. The detainees did walk free after Oueidat's decision. "Only the judicial investigator has the right to issue release orders and accordingly Stat Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat's decision has no legal value," Bitar added. Bitar had resumed work on the port blast investigation after a 13-month hiatus, charging several high-level officials, including Oueidat, over the blast. The August 4, 2020 explosion, one of history's biggest non-nuclear blasts, killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and devastated swathes of the Lebanese capital. The explosion was caused by the detonation of hundreds of tons of poorly-stored ammonium nitrate fertilizer following a blaze. Security sources initially suggested welding work could have started the fire that triggered the blast, but experts have since dismissed the theory as unlikely and an attempt to shift the blame off high-level failings. The probe stalled two years ago after Hezbollah accused Bitar of bias and demanded his dismissal, and after officials named in the investigation filed a flurry of lawsuits against him. The resumption of work comes with Hezbollah's influence weakened after its recent war with Israel and follows the election of a Lebanese president after a more than two-year vacancy. President Joseph Aoun on Thursday told a delegation from the families of the Beirut port blast victims that he has a 'clear commitment' to 'unveil the full truth' and 'hold accountable all those who caused this tragedy.' 'This is the path to pull our country out of the darkness of corruption and negligence,' Aoun added. 'From now on, the judiciary will take its course, the guilty will be put on trial and the innocent will be acquitted,' Aoun pledged.
L'Orient-Le Jour
7 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Former prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat refuses to be notified of summons from Judge Bitar
Former public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation Ghassan Oueidat refused on Thursday to be notified of a hearing scheduled by investigative judge at the Court of Justice Tarek Bitar for questioning on Monday as a suspect in the case of the double explosion at Beirut's port, which occurred on Aug. 4, 2020. In practice, the judicial police, acting on instructions from the head of the Court of Cassation, public prosecutor's office Jamal Hajjar, went on Thursday to Shehim — the former magistrate's hometown and place of residence in the Chouf — to deliver his summons, a source at the Palace of Justice told L'Orient-Le Jour. Oueidat read the notification without signing it and sent a letter to Bitar through the police officer, in which he asserts that the judge has neither 'legitimacy' nor 'jurisdiction' to question him. To justify his refusal, Oueidat relied on Article 354 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which he interprets as requiring, among other things, that a magistrate accused of a misdemeanor or felony must be tried before a judicial body designated ad hoc. Oueidat had already been summoned on July 11 by Bitar, but did not attend the hearing as the judicial police had not duly notified him. In January 2023, the former head of the public prosecutor's office initiated legal proceedings against Bitar for 'usurpation of authority' and 'rebellion against the judiciary,' after the latter decided, based on a legal study, to resume his investigation by bypassing the judicial deadlock he faced due to a series of appeals filed against him by suspects — which were deemed abusive.
Herald Sun
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
NRL fanatic's Instagram account shut down as league investigates online commentary
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Instagram account of the 'most feared man in the NRL' has been shut down, after the league's integrity unit was alerted to allegedly abusive rants directed at Dragons Coach Shane Flanagan. The Dragons raised concerns with the NRL after an X-rated rant on social media from 25-year-old apprentice carpenter and content creator Jean-Claude Bitar went viral. The account is no longer active. Speaking to Bitar said the NRL should be focusing on 'bigger issues of the game' and vowed he 'will not be silenced.' 'They're taking away the voice of a fanatic fan who spends his hard-earned money to support the club through thick and thin. I've been here for over 20 years and I never miss a game. I have never incited violence or conspired to have anyone message players or coaches personally; if anything, I tell everyone not to do that. As a fan, I have the right to criticise the performance of players, as does everyone else. I'm livid with the fact that a big company such as the NRL is going after a small content creator like me who creates entertainment through his pain,' he added. 'They've tried to silence me, but in turn, this will make me grow and make people more intrigued to hear what I've got to say because of this. 'In terms of my Instagram ban, I feel very wronged. My page was pure entertainment, and having past and present players, commentators, managers, and journalists reach out to me expressing their love for my content, I believe the NRL has gone way overboard with this.' Bitar might not even play in the NRL, but has them running scared thanks to a series of social media videos that have gone viral. Declared the 'funniest man on the net at the moment' by Bulldogs legend Reni Maitua after taking down Dragon's father and son Shane and Kyle Flanagan in a rant that has been viewed almost 500,000 times, Bitar's hard hitting commentary has attracted the attention of rugby league heavyweights, including NRL 360 host Braith Anasta, who has hailed him as 'ruthless.' 'If that were you or one of your mates he was talking about, you'd want to kill him,' Anasta said. 'Can you imagine watching that if you were Shane or Kyle? Oh my God. But as ruthless as he is and sometimes over the top, he is also creative. I couldn't wait to see what he did after the Sharks (v Dragons) game last week. But could you imagine seeing that if you were following him and you were the player?'. Fresh from taking aim at State of Origin referee Ashley Klein following NSW's failed comeback against Queensland in another video that has stormed the net, Bitar revealed he has been blocked from viewing the St George Illawarra website and their social media accounts after being critical of the club. 'I went to look at the team list about six weeks ago and I couldn't find it,' Bitar told 'I thought maybe there was a glitch. Then I went to TikTok and Facebook, and I realised I was blocked on all accounts. I could not believe they were blocking a supporter because he is speaking the thoughts of every fan.' Being blocked did not deter the carpenter from Belfield. 'Na, I made a video straight away saying they were pathetic and it was one of my biggest hits.' A host of NRL players have personally contacted Bitar. Some tell him they love his work. Others tell him to stop. 'The first person to contact me was Blake Lawrie's brother,' he said. 'I was giving it to him a bit, and then I remember his brother reached out to me and said: 'you have got to stop making these videos. You're gonna get yourself in big trouble.' 'But I didn't stop. Not when I knew the players were actually watching my videos.' Most of his videos are about St George Illawarra given Bitar is a 'die hard' Dragons fan who has supported the club since he could walk – and was even in their junior development squad. 'Most of the players are fans,' Bitar said. 'They come up to me at games and recite my jokes'. Filming his first NRL post in February, Bitar's videos have gone viral, and he has now posted more than 150. 'They are all pretty big at the moment,' he said. 'Right now, there's the Origin one that's going around, that's got 300,000 views. I think my biggest is one about my reaction to a game that got almost half a million.' And in a warning to the NRL's underperforming and out-of-form, Bitar declared he has just begun. 'Regardless of whether they block me, I'm gonna keep going with the videos. 'People are enjoying it. I'm enjoying it. I'm doing this for fun. I'm a footy fanatic and I have the right to express my views. I'm just saying what everyone is thinking,' he said.
Mada
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Mada
‘Aid trap': Civilians come under Israeli fire while waiting for roadside flour distribution in north Gaza, conflicting announcements sow deadly chaos in south
Dozens of flour trucks entered northern Gaza late Saturday night without any announced distribution mechanism, while in the south, conflicting Israeli announcements left thousands waiting at shuttered aid centers and under attack. The trucks entered Gaza through the Zikim crossing on the northern border with Israel, but Israeli forces blocked them from reaching storage facilities and their contents were distributed directly to civilians instead, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr. Thousands waiting for the vehicles in the western areas were shot at. In the south, civilians continue to be attacked as they make their way to the aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the upstart organization with ties to American and Israeli intelligence and military institutions. Trucks carrying UN flour resort to 'self-distribution' but Palestinians in the north still under attack After weeks of attempting to deliver flour to Gaza without relying on the deadly distribution points run by the GHF or the chaos-inducing distribution mechanisms imposed by the Occupation, the United Nations appears to have agreed to implement a new method of aid distribution. Eyewitnesses and truckers told Mada Masr that UN staff accompanied aid trucks into the strip over the weekend and then allowed aid to be 'self-distributed.' In the darkness, Hamed al-Bitar* walked six kilometers from his home in Gaza City on Saturday to the Amoudi area in the north, where crowds had gathered in anticipation of incoming aid trucks. Around midnight, Bitar, along with thousands of others, spotted a light approaching from the north. Believing it to be the aid trucks, people rushed forward. But as they drew closer, they realized the light was coming from an Israeli tank, Bitar said. The crowd turned and fled as the tank opened fire indiscriminately while advancing. Shortly after, quadcopter drones arrived, firing bullets and dropping explosives on the crowd, he said. According to eyewitness Alaa Hammouda, thousands of Palestinians had also gathered earlier that afternoon in the Sudaniya area in northwest Gaza City, also waiting for the flour convoy. But hours before the trucks arrived, Israeli forces opened fire. Tanks moved in, killing and injuring several people, he said. Seven Palestinians were killed while waiting for aid in Beit Lahia and western Gaza, Al-Jazeera reported on Sunday. The trucks began to arrive at 1 am, accompanied by UN vehicles and local security personnel. Hammouda, who witnessed the convoy's arrival, said it took about an hour before UN staff allowed civilians to begin collecting flour bags. The Israeli military had designated a specific route for the aid convoy, barring them from reaching humanitarian warehouse facilities and mandating what the head of Gaza's Private Transport Association, Nahed Shehaiber, described as 'self-distribution.' Shehaiber told Mada Masr that around 100 flour-loaded trucks entered Gaza on Saturday — half through the Karam Abu Salem crossing in the south and the other half via Zikim in the north. One of the truck drivers told Mada Masr that the Israeli military instructed them not to deliver the aid to distribution warehouses and threatened to target any vehicle that deviated from the assigned route. Drivers were forced to stop at points set by the Israeli military, where aid was distributed directly to waiting civilians. Looters opened fire on four of the trucks in an attempt to seize their cargo, Shehaiber added, bringing the total number of aid trucks obstructed by armed groups to over 140. GHF aid centers still a death trap In southern and central Gaza, thousands of civilians continue to head to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution sites despite repeated Israeli fire, after the Israeli military's late-May imposition of a new distribution mechanism eradicated all other viable means of accessing aid. In the past few days, conflicting announcements by GHF about operating hours left many caught in a 'trap,' several residents told Mada Masr. Israeli forces opened fire on aid seekers who had arrived at distribution centers in line with the published schedules, only to find them shut, they said. Hassan Hashem* set out at dawn on Monday with a companion to the GHF distribution center in Wadi Gaza near Netsarim corridor ahead of its scheduled opening. 'Thousands of people were gathered near the designated path leading to the distribution point,' he told Mada Masr. 'Most were lying on the ground as Israeli military vehicles intermittently opened fire in their direction.' The GHF had announced the night before that its Wadi Gaza center would open at 6 am, and when the hour came, the crowd heard an announcement that the gate had opened, Hashem said. 'We moved immediately along the path, but quickly realized the center was still closed — then, suddenly, rounds of fire broke out in our direction.' No one managed to collect aid parcels. Hashem later learned that the center had opened much earlier than the time announced. Saed Hammouda, who arrived the night before to wait alongside thousands of others, said the gates opened at 2 am, but the amount of aid was extremely limited, 'barely enough for 5 percent of the crowd,' he told Mada Masr. Once the gates opened, chaos broke out. According to Hammouda, individuals armed with sticks and bladed weapons who stood at the front were the first to enter, taking sugar, oil, flour and rice from the parcels. Thousands of others were left with only canned food, and within 30 minutes, the Israeli military opened fire on the crowd, he said. Further south, in western Rafah, Mohamed al-Najjar*, who went to collect aid on Sunday at the GHF site in the Saudi neighborhood, told Mada Masr that residents showed up at the announced time, but the site was closed. American personnel at the site instructed them to turn back before sealing the gates. Although residents had followed the designated route to the center, Najjar said Israeli military vehicles stationed nearby suddenly opened fire on the crowd. Troops encircled groups of aid seekers and blocked their escape, with shots reaching tents housing displaced people in the coastal Mawasi region west of Rafah. Israeli quadcopter drones hovering over the area also fired on the waiting crowds, Najjar said. Some carried the wounded and dead on their shoulders to a hospital operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross in southern Gaza. GHF announced on Saturday that its Tel al-Sultan center in western Rafah would open at 10 am, followed two hours later by the Saudi neighborhood center. But by Sunday morning — just half an hour after the first center was supposed to open, and hours before the second — GHF declared both sites closed, citing the 'completion of aid distribution.' Ramy Badawy first went to the Tel al-Sultan distribution site, only to find it closed. He then headed to the center in Saudi, where American personnel stationed inside also informed him and other aid seekers that the day's aid distribution had already ended. Badawy said thousands of residents had gathered outside but were denied any aid. He described the situation as a deliberate Israeli tactic to lure civilians into a deadly 'aid trap.' Israeli forces resumed their attacks on aid seekers outside other GHF centers across central and south Gaza throughout Monday. At least 20 people were killed and 200 others wounded near a GHF distribution site in Rafah, medics told Reuters. 'We went there thinking we would get aid to feed our children, but it turned out to be a trap, a killing. I advise everyone: don't go there,' Ahmed Fayad, who tried to reach the site, told Reuters. The day before, three people were killed near the distribution point in the Netsarim corridor, while two more were killed near the Rafah center, according to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (Wafa). Gaza's Health Ministry said on Saturday that the number of Palestinians killed or injured by Israeli fire while waiting for aid had risen to 274 dead and more than 2,536 wounded.
