Judge Bitar to question Grechushkin in Sofia

More than 4 years after the devastating Beirut port blast on 4 August 2020, Lebanon’s stalled judicial process has taken a significant step forward.

Investigating judge Tarek Bitar has traveled to Bulgaria to question a key figure linked to the disaster, signaling renewed momentum in a case long overshadowed by political obstruction and legal deadlock.

Questioning the shipowner at the center of the case

Judge Bitar arrived in Sofia to interrogate Igor Grechushkin, a 48-year-old Russian-Cypriot identified by Lebanese authorities as the owner of the cargo ship Rhosus. The vessel transported the ammonium nitrate that later detonated at Beirut’s port in 2020.

The questioning follows a Bulgarian court decision refusing Lebanon’s request to extradite Grechushkin, who was arrested in September under an Interpol notice before being released. The court’s decision came amid insufficient guarantees from Lebanese authorities regarding preventing capital punishment against Grechushkin (which is prohibited in Bulgarian law, not Lebanese).

Lebanon’s judiciary is now relying on direct cooperation with Bulgarian authorities to secure testimony. The Lebanese embassy in Sofia has arranged for a translator and a clerk to document the session, with Bulgarian judicial officials attending to ensure procedural compliance.

Investigator Bitar hopes Grechushkin’s testimony will clarify critical unanswered questions, including who ordered and financed the ammonium nitrate shipment and whether Beirut was its intended destination.

The cargo had been stored unsafely at the port for years, despite repeated warnings reaching senior officials. A fire in a warehouse eventually triggered one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in modern history.

The blast killed more than 220 people, injured over 6,500, and devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital, leaving deep physical and psychological scars.

A shift in political and judicial climate

Judge Bitar’s renewed activity comes amid a changing political landscape.

His investigation, previously paralyzed by lawsuits and a travel ban, resumed this year after the ban was lifted. The weakening of Hezbollah following recent regional conflict removed one of the main political forces opposing his work.

President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, both newly in office, have publicly committed to safeguarding judicial independence, raising cautious hopes among victims’ families.

From here, Judge Bitar’s move to question Grechushkin abroad underscores a determination to break through years of impunity and delay. While the path to accountability remains uncertain, the Bulgaria interrogation represents a rare moment of progress in Lebanon’s long and painful search for justice after the port explosion.