Tarek Bitar (Arabic: طارق بيطار, Akkar, born 1974[1]) is a Lebanese judge and the head of Beirut’s criminal court,[2][1] who is the second judge to lead the investigation of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, succeeding Fadi Sawwan[2][1] who was dismissed by the Lebanese court after charging two former Amal Party[3] ministers over the blast, which was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate negligently stored in the port for over six years.[2] Sawwan's dismissal was objected to by the victims’ families because they feared that it would take the case back to zero.[2][4] In September 2021, Bitar received a threat by Hezbollah.[5][6]

Bitar is described as having no bias or affiliations to any political party.[2][4]

On 14 October 2021, protests were instigated by the Shiite groups of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement,[7] rebuffed by the Lebanese Army, outside the Justice Palace in Eastern Beirut, demanding an end to Bitar's judgeship, accusing him of political bias and incompetence.[8][9][10] Hezbollah partisans have claimed that Lebanese Forces supporters were present, though this is unconfirmed.[11] Clashes erupted between the militants leaving six protesters and one civilian dead

Biography

Born in the village of Aydamun in Akkar,[2] he is married and the father of two children.[1]

He earned his law degree from the Lebanese University in 1999,[7] and began his career as an attorney until he became the sole criminal judge of North Lebanon until 2010.[1]

Since 2017 he has been the head of the Criminal Court in Beirut.[12]

In August 2020, at the time of the explosion, his name was put forward by the minister Marie-Claude Najm to lead the investigation ahead of Fadi Sawwan,[1] which he refused due to some unknown reasons, possibly due to political pressure.[2]

However in February 2021, he was finally appointed as new investigator in the Beirut blast probe,[4] after the removal of Sawwan who was dismissed by the Lebanese court when the two ministers he charged with negligence requested that the case be transferred to another judge.[2][4] The reasons for his acceptance this time remain unclear.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Tarek Bitar à " L'Orient-Le Jour " : Je ne laisserai pas l'enquête dévier". L'Orient-Le Jour. 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Who is Tarek Bitar, the judge who will take over the Beirut port investigation after Fadi Sawwan's removal?". L'Orient Today. 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  3. ↑ "Two ex-ministers snub judge after being charged over Beirut blast". Reuters. 2020-12-16. Archived from the original on 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Judge Tarek Bitar appointed as new lead investigator in Beirut blast probe". www.dailystar.com.lb. Archived from the original on 2021-02-21. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  5. ↑ Tamara Qiblawi (23 September 2021). "Hezbollah threatened top judge probing Beirut port blast, source says". CNN. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  6. ↑ "Hezbollah threatens Beirut Port blast investigator - report". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
  7. 1 2 "Who is Tarek Bitar? Judge heading probe into deadly Beirut Port blast". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  8. ↑ Chehayeb, Kareem. "'Political targeting': Hezbollah chief denounces blast judge". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  9. ↑ Bassam, Laila; Dahan, Maha El (2021-10-12). "Lebanon's Hezbollah chief, Nasrallah, says blast judge biased, should be replaced". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  10. ↑ AFP. "Lebanon court dismisses Hezbollah bid to remove Beirut blast judge". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  11. ↑ "Lebanese Army arrests nine people after Beirut violence | AJ | 14. 10.2021". AJ. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  12. ↑ "من هو القاضي طارق بيطار". موقع محتويات (in Arabic). 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
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