Controversy in Lebanon Hezbollah threatens the judge of the Beirut explosion

A few words in a in a tweet were enough to unleash a storm in the past few hours in Lebanon. A Lebanese reporter revealed in a tweet on his Twitter account this afternoon Tuesday that Hezbollah sent a threatening letter to Judge Tariq Al-Bitar, who is looking into the case of the bloody explosion of the Beirut port, which left 214 people dead and hundreds injured. last year (August 4, 2020), stating that “he has been uprooted from his post if he continues to hold him.”.

As soon as the journalist Edmond Sassin wrote his words, one of the pro-Hezbollah journalists commented on him, criticizing him, so the first returned and confirmed that he was absolutely confident of the information, pointing out that the official of the Liaison Unit and Hezbollah coordination, Wafiq Safa, contacted the judge and threatened to sack him from his position if he completed his procedures.

Hezbollah, via Wafiq Safa, sent a threatening message to Judge Tariq Bitar, stating: “Continue with us, from you to the mouth.
Bitar’s response was: Redeem him, Beymon.
Fever _ God _ Bitar

– edmondsassine Edmondsassine (@edmondsassine) September 21, 2021

The dissemination of information about the judicial investigator in the blast case by receiving a threatening letter from a Hezbollah official led the Minister of the Interior and Municipalities, Bassam Mawlawi, to deny his knowledge of any threatening operation against Bitar.

Well-informed sources told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that the discriminatory prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, asked Bitar to prepare a report on the movement of media and to include it to listen to those who have passed on this information.

Although informed sources did not confirm to Al-Arabiya, nor deny at the same time, Safa’s contact with Judge Bitar, the information confirmed that the Hezbollah man had already visited the Palace of Justice yesterday, Monday, and met those concerned and informed them of what he described as “excesses” made by Bitar in the investigation file into the port explosion.

The Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, asked the judicial investigator of the crime of the explosion of the port of Beirut, Judge Tariq Bitar, to draw up a report on what is circulating about an oral message that he received through mediation from the Mr. Wafic Safa

– Lebanese Public Prosecutor (@ProsecutorGenLB) September 21, 2021

It should be noted that Bitar issued a warrant for his arrest a few days ago in absentia from the former Minister of Public Works and Transport, Youssef Fenianos, “after his refusal to appear before him for questioning, despite being duly informed of the date of the session.

He also asked for the interrogation of former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, as well as his request to Parliament to lift the immunity of 3 MPs who previously held ministerial posts: Ali Hassan Khalil (money), Ghazi Zuaiter (works), who are allies of Hezbollah, as well as Nohad Al-Machnouk (internal), as a prelude to pursuing and prosecuting them.

In addition, he asked the Tripoli (North) Bar Association to grant him permission to prosecute Fenianos, who is close to Hezbollah, and the Minister of the Interior to grant him permission to bring a lawsuit against the Director General of Public Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim (also by those close to the party).

These demands apparently angered Hezbollah, especially as they hit allies and close collaborators, which prompted the party leader, Hassan Nasrallah, weeks ago to put in doubt the credibility of the investigation.