Lebanon16 September, 20262 min read
Lebanese Prosecutor Seeks Indictment of Former President Michel Aoun Over 2020 Beirut Port Blast
Beirut port explosion case: prosecutor seeks indictment of former president Michel Aoun. Beirut blast killed about 200–220 people and wounded thousands.
Indictment Sought
A Lebanese prosecutor on Tuesday requested that former president Michel Aoun be indicted over the 2020 Beirut port blast, which killed more than 200 people, a judicial official told AFP. 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.
Lebanese authorities said the blast was caused by a fire in a warehouse where 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored for years, despite repeated warnings addressed to top officials. The massive explosion on August 4, 2020 also injured more than 6,500 people and devastated a large part of the capital, according to the judicial account.
Who Is Named
The prosecutor’s request was framed around the allegation that Aoun had prior knowledge of the presence of ammonium nitrate at the port and its danger, without taking necessary measures or referring the matter to the Higher Defence Council. In the same judicial description, the prosecutor asked Tarek Bitar to "bring charges against (the former) president Aoun" given that prior knowledge and the failure to act.
A separate judicial account said the document specifies the responsibility of more than 70 people implicated, including current and former political leaders, security and military officials, and civil servants. The case has been described as having stalled since 2023 due to political and legal quarrels, with Hezbollah—backed by Iran—leading a campaign to demand Judge Bitar’s removal before his investigations resumed in 2025.
Next Legal Steps
Prosecutor Mohammad Saab submitted his report on Tuesday after Judge Tarek Bitar completed his investigation in March, and the prosecutions were said to fall under Bitar’s jurisdiction. The judicial file is expected to move forward as Judge Tarek Bitar is "expected to rule in the coming weeks," according to the reporting on the case’s procedural posture.
One account also said the charges remain up to Bitar, who could issue them in the coming weeks, while another reported that Bitar would receive the prosecution’s assessment within days. The request to indict Aoun is presented as part of a long-running effort to break a pattern of impunity, with the case described as a symbol of impunity in Lebanon and tied to public anger and families demanding justice.