Tarek Bitar ( ar, طارق بيطار,

Akkar Akkar District ( ar, قضاء عكار) is the only district in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon. It is coextensive with the governorate and covers an area of . The UNHCR estimated the population of the district to be 389,899 in 2015, including 106,935 ...

, born 1974) is a Lebanese judge and the head of Beirut’s criminal court, who is the second judge to lead the investigation of the

2020 Beirut Port explosion On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut in the capital city of Lebanon exploded, causing at least 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage, as well as leaving an estimated 300 ...

, succeeding Fadi Sawwan who was dismissed by the Lebanese court after charging two former Amal Party ministers over the blast, which was caused by 2,750 tonnes of

ammonium nitrate Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline salt consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates. It is ...

negligently stored in the port for over six years. Sawwan's dismissal was objected to by the victims’ families because they feared that it would take the case back to zero. In September 2021, Bitar received a threat by

Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...

. Bitar is described as having no bias or affiliations to any political party. On the 14th of October 2021, protests were instigated by the

Shiite Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

groups of

and the Amal Movement, rebuffed by the

Lebanese Army ) , founded = 1 August 1945 , current_form = 1991 , disbanded = , branches = Lebanese Ground ForcesLebanese Air Force Lebanese Navy , headquarters = Yarze, Lebanon , flying_hours = , websit ...

, outside the ''Justice Palace'' in Eastern Beirut, demanding an end to Bitar's judgeship, accusing him of

political bias Political bias is a bias or perceived bias involving the slanting or altering of information to make a political position or political candidate seem more attractive. With a distinct association with media bias, it commonly refers to how a re ...

and incompetence. Hezbollah partisans have claimed that

Lebanese Forces The Lebanese Forces ( ar, القوات اللبنانية '')'' is a Lebanese Christian-based political party and former militia during the Lebanese Civil War. It currently holds 19 of the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament and is therefore th ...

supporters were present, though this is unconfirmed. Clashes erupted between the militants leaving six protesters and one civilian dead

Biography

Born in the village of

Aydamun Aydamun (also spelled as Aidamoun or Aaidamoun) is a Lebanese village. Location It is located in Akkar District, about 15 minutes away from Kouachra, and 3 hours from the capital Beirut. History In 1838, Eli Smith noted 'Aidemun'' as a "Gre ...

, he is married and the father of two children. He earned his law degree from the

Lebanese University The Lebanese University (LU) (, ) is the only public university in Beirut, Lebanon. It is ranked #701–750 worldwide in terms of education. The creation of the Lebanese University was an idea first mentioned in the speech of the former Minist ...

in 1999, and began his career as an attorney until he became the sole criminal judge of North Lebanon until 2010. Since 2017 he has been the head of the Criminal Court in Beirut. In August 2020, at the time of the explosion, his name was put forward by the minister

Marie-Claude Najm Marie-Claude Najm ( ar, ماري كلود نجم; born 6 April 1971) is a Lebanese academic who served as Ministry of Justice (Lebanon), Minister of Justice from 2020 to 2021. Education and academic career Najm studied law at the Saint Joseph ...

to lead the investigation ahead of Fadi Sawwan, which he refused due to some unknown reasons, possibly due to political pressure. However in February 2021, he was finally appointed as new investigator in the Beirut blast probe, 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. The reasons for his acceptance this time remain unclear.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bitar, Tarek 1974 births Living people Lebanese judges Lebanese University alumni 2020 Beirut explosion People from Akkar Governorate