"Akhbar al-Yawm" agency

At a time when the investigations into the Beirut port explosion are still going on in the usual cycle of disruption in Lebanon, the file returns to the international front with a statement expected to be issued in the next few hours by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva signed by more than 30 countries to demand the completion of investigations into this explosion in order to achieve truth and accountability.

This statement would not have been issued without the continuous efforts made by the Strong Republic bloc and the foreign relations apparatus of the Lebanese Forces, according to the head of the body, former minister Richard Kuyumjian, who explained, via the "Akhbar Al-Yawm" agency, that the human rights council holds periodic meetings and during the current session, relevant topics will be raised, including this year the issue of the Beirut port explosion.

Kuyumjian also stressed that the goal of the LF, in cooperation with the families of the victims and the affected people of the region, was to take the decision to form an International Fact - Finding Committee on the subject of the Beirut port blast, and it made great efforts and communicated with the ambassadors of the member states and held a series of meetings in Geneva, and its offices in Washington, Paris, Brussels and Geneva to complete the investigation without any hindrance.

In response to a question, Kuyumjian pointed out that several parties are trying to obstruct, but in the end, this expected statement will not be the end, but "we will continue efforts to reach a decision to establish a Fact-finding commission," despite the fact that the Lebanese state does not want to raise this issue in international forums, for fear of exerting more pressure.

Stressing that this issue has not been developed at the international level, Kuyumjian said that in the few weeks after the explosion, the LF had begun communicating with the international community, and sent more than one letter to the concerned parties, including a petition signed by the members of the bloc filed on February 11, 2021 to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanding the establishment of a fact-finding commission, saying that we realize from the first day that the internal investigation will not lead to a result. The best evidence of the disruption that affected the file and the investigations was through legal means or intimidation and threats.

Kuyumjian concluded: We also sent a similar petition to the human rights council several months ago, made the necessary contacts and visited the ambassadors of the member states to press for the formation of this committee, and now we have reached the issuance of a statement. We will not stop and will continue to strive for the establishment of an international fact-finding commission.