Death toll from clashes during protest in Beirut rises to seven

The toll of victims of the clashes recorded on Thursday during a protest in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, against the judge investigating the August 2020 explosions in the city, has risen to seven dead and more than 30 injured, as indicated by the Lebanese Red Cross.

The director of the organization, Georges Ketané, has indicated in statements granted to the Lebanese newspaper Orient by Day that among the wounded there are several in critical condition, so it is not ruled out that the death toll may increase in the next few hours.

The incidents erupted after shots were fired at protesters, mostly followers of the Shiite militia-party. Hezbollah and the AMAL Movement, also Shiite, who were protesting against Judge Tarek Bitar, amid complaints by these formations against his way of conducting the investigations, after several former ministers summoned to testify in the framework of the investigations have presented various lawsuits to try to get the judge dismissed.

This rise in tensions has put the stability of the newly formed Lebanese government at risk –which received the confidence of Parliament on September 20–, after Hezbollah, AMAL and the Marada Movement have threatened to “suspend” their participation in it if Bitar is not replaced by another judge.

Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah charged hard at Bitar on Monday and accused him of having “selective” and “politicized” positions. Thus, he demanded that he be replaced “by a transparent and honest judge” and added that the families “will not get the truth with this judge.”

Nasralá warned that “the country could go towards a great disaster if the judge continues to act in this way.” “What is happening in the investigation is a very, very, very, very big error and we will not accept that the matter continues like this for the next few days,” he said.

Popular unrest has been on the rise in recent months due to the blocking of investigations and delays in the withdrawal of the immunity of former ministers and parliamentarians whom Judge Bitar has summoned to testify in the framework of the investigations, including Diab, who resigned after the explosions and remained in office until an agreement was reached to form the new government in September.

The situation quickly led to clashes open in which rocket-propelled grenades were fired. Likewise, a shell hit the area, in the midst of a large deployment of the military to contain the clashes.

At the moment it has not been clarified who opened fire on protesters, although the authorities have arrested about ten people. Hezbollah and AMAL have charged directly against Lebanese Forces, a Christian formation headed by Samir Geagea, although the party has disassociated itself from the incidents.

The situation is relatively calm during the day this Friday, in which a day of mourning national and the general closure of shops. The burial of several of the dead protesters is scheduled to take place this Friday.

For their part, the governments of Russia and Iran have joined the international reactions, after so much United States like France and United Nations issued statements calling for containment to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the country.

“We call on all Lebanese politicians to show restraint and prudence and return to constructive work to resolve issues on the national agenda, based on mutual respect and understanding, without external intervention,” the Foreign Ministry said. Russian.

For his part, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Iranian, Said Jatibzadé, has condemned the incidents and stressed that “Lebanon, as always, will successfully leave behind the seditions backed by the Zionists and the conspiracies planned and carried out by the bosses and agents of this regime”, referring to Israel .

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