President of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, received a delegation from the Committee of Families of the Victims of the Beirut Port Explosion at his office in downtown Beirut.

Makhzoumi said that the port explosion was the greatest crime ever committed in Beirut and across Lebanon, noting that the political class continued to remind the public of this tragedy every day through the way it handled the case. He described what was happening regarding the lifting of immunities as an “unprecedented maneuver,” affirming his support for lifting immunities, which he said was a right of the Lebanese people. However, he explained that the political establishment’s proposed approach would require a constitutional amendment, a process that would take considerable time and involve numerous procedures.

Addressing Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Makhzoumi pointed out that Article 40 of the Constitution was clear in stating: “During a session of Parliament, no criminal proceedings may be taken against any member of Parliament, nor may any member be arrested for committing a criminal offense without the authorization of Parliament, except in cases where the crime is committed in flagrante delicto.”

He continued: “Since you all claim that you want to lift immunities, why don’t you put these words into practice?” He urged Speaker Berri to convene a parliamentary session on the eve of August 4, namely the following Tuesday, so that the public could clearly see who was prepared to lift immunity from those accused and who was seeking to protect them.

Makhzoumi said that their primary concern was to uncover the truth and allow the judiciary to conduct a transparent investigation to identify those responsible for the crime and impose the harshest possible penalties on them. He expressed astonishment that MPs elected by the people could sign what he called a “petition of shame” without considering the enormity of the crime, as though it had nothing to do with them.

For his part, the spokesperson for the Committee of Families of the Victims confirmed that the meeting with MP Makhzoumi was intended to discuss lifting immunity from those accused in the port explosion case. He noted that some parties were attempting to obstruct the case on constitutional grounds, despite the fact that the entire matter could be resolved in five minutes in Parliament if there were a genuine political will.

He added that the committee was raising this issue with a number of MPs who shared their position and sought the truth, including MP Makhzoumi.

He concluded by saying: “August 4 is just days away. Accountability is coming, and we will name everyone responsible for the deaths of our loved ones, as well as everyone attempting to obstruct the investigation.”