On August 4 of this year, we find ourselves confronted once more with the lingering repercussions of the Beirut Port Explosion. This event has not been relegated to oblivion; rather, it continues to resonate within the national consciousness. On this fateful day in 2020, over 200 lives were lost, thousands of Lebanese citizens were injured, and large parts of neighborhoods in the capital were destroyed. To date, no one has been held responsible for this disaster, and the precise cause of the explosion remains uncertain.
On this somber anniversary, the Lokman Slim Foundation and UMAM Documentation & Research reaffirm their unwavering commitment to seeking the truth and confronting impunity, regardless of the perpetrators' identity or location. As the pursuit of justice and truth in the assassination of Lokman Slim persists, there is an imperative for comprehensive disclosure in the investigation of the Beirut Port Explosion. It is imperative that all individuals with responsibility, extending from the highest echelons of leadership to the rank and file, be held to account, including those who have perpetrated and assisted in the commission of these crimes.
It is furthermore imperative to acknowledge the necessity of establishing accountability for the Port of Beirut Explosion in order to effectively break the cycle of impunity in Lebanon. In this case, the principle of accountability extends beyond the immediate families of the victims and the geographical boundaries of the explosion site. Instead, it is a means to attain justice for all pending cases, including those involving political assassinations, forcibly disappeared people, and the system of corruption that has devastated the state and looted the people's wealth.
We do not view “justice” as a mere buzzword or slogan. Rather, it is a path that must be meticulously followed, irrespective of the duration required to do so. The construction of a nation is predicated on the antithesis of oppression, oblivion, and compromise. We categorically refuse to see August 4 consigned to oblivion. We want it to symbolize continuous civil resistance, in opposition to a state of irresponsibility and a system that has transformed public institutions into mechanisms for evading justice.
The Lokman Slim Foundation and UMAM Documentation & Research express their deepest respect for the souls of the victims and affirm that the future of Lebanon is contingent upon the dismantling of the system of political violence, the upholding of the rule of law, and the collaboration with those who recognize that freedom and justice are not luxuries, but conditions for survival.
Beirut, August 4, 2025
Lokman Slim Foundation and UMAM Documentation & Research