BEIRUT: A Lebanese judge leading investigations into Beirut’s port blast issued two new arrest warrants on Friday, a judicial source told AFP.
“The investigating judge, Fadi Sawan, continued his investigations... and today issued two arrest warrants,” the source said.
According to the official National News Agency, the subjects of the warrants are Beirut’s customs authority director, Hanna Fares, and Nayla Al-Hajj, an engineer contracted for maintenance work at warehouse 12, where the explosion took place.
A huge stock of ammonium nitrate stored unsecured for years in the rundown warehouse at the Lebanese capital’s port exploded on August 4.
The blast caused severe damage across swathes of the city, killed at least 181 people and injured more than 6,500.
Lebanon has launched an investigation into the disaster, which many have blamed on official negligence and corruption.
So far arrest warrants have been issued for six of the 25 people currently facing lawsuits over the blast, including Beirut Port director-general Hassan Koraytem and customs director-general, Badri Daher.
While authorities have rebuffed widespread calls for an international probe, Lebanon’s investigation is being aided by foreign experts, including from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
France, which counted among the dead several of its citizens, has launched its own enquiry.
Lebanon judge issues two new arrest warrants over Beirut blast
https://arab.news/ztn4y
Lebanon judge issues two new arrest warrants over Beirut blast
- The subjects of the warrants are Beirut’s customs authority director, Hanna Fares, and Nayla Al-Hajj, an engineer contracted for maintenance work at warehouse 12
- The blast caused severe damage across swathes of the city, killed at least 181 people and injured more than 6,500
Iran, UK foreign ministers in rare direct contact
- A UK government source said Cooper “emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear program and raised a number of other issues”
TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken by phone with his British counterpart Yvette Cooper, an Iranian foreign ministry statement said on Saturday, in a rare case of direct contact between the two countries.
The ministry said that in Friday’s call the ministers “stressed the need to continue consultations at various levels to strengthen mutual understanding and pursue issues of mutual interest.”
A UK government source said Cooper “emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear program and raised a number of other issues.”
The source in London said Cooper raised the case of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple detained in Iran for nearly a year on suspicion of espionage.
The Iranian ministry statement did not mention the case of the two Britons.
It said Araghchi criticized “the irresponsible approach of the three European countries toward the Iranian nuclear issue,” referring to Britain, France and Germany.
The three countries at the end of September initiated the
reinstatement of UN sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear program.
The Foremans, both in their early fifties, were seized in January as they passed through Kerman, in central Iran, while on a round-the-world motorbike trip.
Iran accuses the couple of entering the country pretending to be tourists so as to gather information for foreign intelligence services, an allegation the couple’s family rejects.
Before Friday’s call, the last exchange between the two ministers was in October.
