Top prosecutor orders release of Beirut port blast detainees

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB and BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s top prosecutor has ordered all suspects detained in the investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast released and filed charges against the judge leading the probe. The move Wednesday by chief prosecutor Ghassan Oweidat is another blow to the investigation, which has stalled for years. The probe has threatened to rattle Lebanon’s ruling elite — rife with corruption and mismanagement — that has helped push the country into an unprecedented economic meltdown. The decision came after Judge Tarek Bitar resumed the investigation into the devastating blast. It followed a 13-month halt over legal challenges raised by politicians accused in the probe, including the chief prosecutor.