Why is justice so delayed in Beirut port explosion?

Episode 442 of the Beyond the Headlines podcast, hosted by The National News, titled "Why is justice so delayed in Beirut port explosion?" was published on August 1, 2025 and runs 17 minutes.

August 1, 2025 ·17m · Beyond the Headlines

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Summary

Five years have passed since the Beirut port explosion – and still the families of the more than 220 victims killed in the blast await justice. Mariana Foudalian is one of them. She lost her sister Gaia in the disaster but says she still has not had the chance to grieve as nobody has been held accountable even after all these years. The investigation into the blast has faced an uphill battle because of the institutional corruption that has long plagued Lebanon. Political interference by officials implicated in the explosion has forced the lead investigator to suspend his work more than once. So what has changed since then? After decades of political turbulence, a new reform-minded government lead by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has brought a ray of hope. The inquiry into the explosion has been reopened and the judge in charge of it has been reinstated. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines host Nada AlTaher follows the developments since the explosion and looks at the climate of corruption and negligence that has delayed justice for so long. Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.

Episode Description

Five years have passed since the Beirut port explosion – and still the families of the more than 220 victims killed in the blast await justice.

Mariana Foudalian is one of them. She lost her sister Gaia in the disaster but says she still has not had the chance to grieve as nobody has been held accountable even after all these years.

The investigation into the blast has faced an uphill battle because of the institutional corruption that has long plagued Lebanon.

Political interference by officials implicated in the explosion has forced the lead investigator to suspend his work more than once. So what has changed since then?

After decades of political turbulence, a new reform-minded government lead by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has brought a ray of hope. The inquiry into the explosion has been reopened and the judge in charge of it has been reinstated.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines host Nada AlTaher follows the developments since the explosion and looks at the climate of corruption and negligence that has delayed justice for so long.

Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our two-minute listener survey. Click here.