The investigation into the 2020 Beirut port explosion is progressing steadily and at an accelerating pace, according to Youssef Lahoud, a lawyer with the Beirut Bar Association’s legal team representing victims of the blast.

“Most of the key political and security officials who previously refused to appear before the judge have now testified voluntarily, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, and State Security Director Tony Saliba,” Lahoud told Al-Markazia.

With investigative judge Tarek Bitar having resumed his sessions, Lahoud said the case could be nearing the pivotal stage of issuing indictments.

“It’s a major development in the investigation, but several legal steps remain, most notably completing all interrogations,” he said, noting that additional high-profile individuals could still be summoned for questioning.

Asked whether an indictment might be announced ahead of the fifth anniversary of the blast on August 4, Lahoud explained that the timeline depends on when Judge Bitar submits the file to the Court of Cassation’s Public Prosecutor for final review.

“Once that happens, the countdown toward the indictment begins, unless the prosecutor calls for expanded investigations. But if that were the case, they likely would have done so by now. Everything suggests the process is finally on the right track,” he said.

More than 220 people were killed, thousands injured, and large swathes of the capital destroyed in the August 2020 explosion which was caused by the improperly stored ammonium nitrate at the Beirut port.