Former Minister Nouhad Machnouk appeared Thursday before Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator in the Beirut port explosion case. His attendance marked another significant development in the probe into the massive 2020 blast that killed more than 200 people and injured thousands in the Lebanese capital.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing session, Machnouk said his decision to appear before the judge was driven by a desire to show respect for the victims’ families.

"A large part of the reason for my appearance before the investigating judge is out of respect for the families of the martyrs and the injured, who may believe that my absence is directed against them—rather than an insistence on adhering to the constitutional provisions governing the prosecution of ministers and presidents," he said.

Machnouk noted that most of the questions during the session centered on a letter he received in 2015 regarding the hazardous materials stored at the port. “I came to clarify the situation,” he added, reiterating his position that the judge lacks the legal authority to interrogate him, arguing that such jurisdiction falls under the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers.

His lawyer, Naoum Farah, also underscored that Machnouk appeared before the judge in his personal capacity, not as a government official.

"Machnouk came as an ordinary citizen, out of respect for the wishes of the victims’ families of the port explosion," Farah said.