Lebanon’s Geagea says resort to ICC over Beirut port blast, if local probe fails

Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, said if local investigations into the Beirut Port explosion does not lead to clear and convincing results, he will resort to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“The criminal investigation has finally taken its right path and we will follow it step by step until the end,” Geagea said during a meeting with residents of the Lebanese town of Niha, adding: “If the local investigation into the Beirut Port explosion does not lead to clear, real and convincing results, then we will inevitably try everything including going to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to uncover the truth and the circumstances of this crime.”

“Just as the people of Niha were resistance fighters in times of war, so they are today, resistance fighters in days of peace, clinging to their land and their homeland,” he said, adding that “despite the very difficult conditions that we are living in today, the bitter and harsh conditions, we will spare no effort, and we will continue our struggle until the end, to get the country and the people out of the state in which they are now, to the place of free and decent living and state sovereignty.”

On 4 August, a violent explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut when a warehouse containing highly explosive material caught fire.

The explosion killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands more.

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