Arrest warrant issued for ex-minister over Beirut blast
Youssef Fenianos, Lebanon's former public works and transportation minister, had reportedly failed to appear for questioning before the judge.
The judge overseeing Lebanon's probe of the Beirut port explosion issued an arrest warrant on Thursday for a former government minister, the state-run news agency reported.
Youssef Fenianos, a former public works and transportation minister, had refused to appear for questioning before Judge Tareq Bitar. Fenianos, who ran the ministry from 2016 to 2020, is among several government officials summoned by Bitar for alleged involvement in the blast.
Fenianos' lawyer told Agence France-Presse that the warrant was a "blatant violation of the law.” Nazih al-Khoury told the news agency the defense team is weighing its legal options.
The August 2020 blast at Lebanon’s most vital port killed at least 215 people, injured over 6,500 and displaced more than 300,000 from their homes. Much of the Lebanese capital was affected by the accident, which caused billions in damage and added to the small Mediterranean country’s dire economic situation.
