Lebanon · 16 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Lebanese Prosecutor Seeks Charges Against Former President Michel Aoun Over 2020 Beirut Port Blast
Court of Cassation prosecutor seeks to indict former President Michel Aoun over Beirut port blast. Indictment cites alleged prior knowledge by Aoun of the 2020 explosion.
Whether charges remain pending or already set to be issued.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: indictment expected before December.
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One implies discretion, another predicts timing for indictment issuance.
Aoun indicted sought
A Lebanese prosecutor requested that former president Michel Aoun be indicted over the 2020 Beirut port blast, which killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,500, according to a judicial official speaking to AFP.
“requested that former president Michel Aoun be indicted over the 2020 Beirut port blast”
The prosecutor at Lebanon’s Court of Cassation asked the judge overseeing the case, Tarek Bitar, to “press charges against (former) president Aoun,” citing Aoun’s prior knowledge of ammonium nitrate at the port and the danger it posed.
The request ties the case to Lebanese authorities’ account that the blast was caused by a fire in a warehouse where 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored haphazardly for years despite repeated warnings to top officials.
The judicial file has been described as a symbol of impunity, with prosecutions involving more than 70 people implicated and falling under Bitar’s jurisdiction.
In March, a judicial official told AFP that Bitar had completed his probe and referred the case to the public prosecutor for review, before Prosecutor Mohammad Saab submitted his review on Tuesday.
Court arguments and delays
The indictment request centers on whether Aoun had “prior knowledge of the presence of ammonium nitrate at the port and the danger it posed,” without taking necessary measures or referring the matter to the Higher Defence Council, as described by AFP sources cited by multiple outlets.
L'Alsace reported the prosecutor asked Bitar to “bring charges against (the former) president Aoun, to the extent that he had prior knowledge of the presence of ammonium nitrate at the port and the danger it posed,” while La Croix said the prosecutor sought charges “without taking the necessary measures or having seized the Higher Defense Council.”
Both accounts place the blast on August 4, 2020, describing it as devastating a large part of the capital and injuring more than 6,500 people.
They also describe how the case had stalled since 2023 amid political and legal quarrels, with Hezbollah—backed by Iran—leading a campaign to demand Bitar’s removal and facing dozens of judicial appeals targeting him.
In 2025, the reporting says Bitar resumed his investigations after a shift in Lebanon’s political power with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam taking office following the 2023-2024 Israel-Hezbollah war.
What’s at stake next
The prosecution’s review, submitted by Prosecutor Mohammad Saab on Tuesday after Bitar completed his investigation in March, specifies the responsibility of more than 70 people implicated, including current and former political leaders, security and military officials, and civil servants.
“The charges remain up to Bitar, who could issue them in the coming weeks”
The request also keeps the decision on charges with Judge Tarek Bitar, who is expected to rule in the coming weeks, while the case remains tied to the long-running demand for accountability after no one had yet been held responsible.
Naharnet said the charges remain “up to Bitar, who could issue them in the coming weeks,” and described the blast as killing more than 220 people and injuring more than 6,500.
It further frames the legal pathway as emerging after Bitar resumed investigations last year as Lebanon’s balance of power shifted, with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam taking office following a 2023-2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
In parallel, reporting also said the indictment process could move quickly, with MTV reporting that Bitar would receive the prosecution’s assessment within days and issue the indictment before the end of the year.