The Court of Cassation decided today to recuse Judge Fadi Sawwan from investigation into the Beirut port blast case, following a memorandum submitted by former ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter (both suspects) on grounds of legitimate suspicion.
LBCI published the statement issued by the court that highlights the legal reasons for which he should be dismissed. One reason mentioned in the decision is that Sawwan’s house was damaged in the explosion, which means that he is personally affected and cannot be impartial.
Human Rights Watch described the decision as being “a mockery of justice & is an insult to the victims of the blast”, and asked for an international, independent investigation.
Many want us to believe that Judge Sawwan is the hero here, but he is to blame as well, as his investigation has been tainted with political interference and based on the decision above, several legal challenges. It’s as if he was working towards getting dismissed after having crossed some red lines set by the rotten political class.
In all cases, we’re back to square one and not even an international investigation will help us achieve anything at this point. We all know the reason behind the blast was years of negligence and corruption, and all players were involved in a way or another.
What a joke!