Lebanon's parliament approves army's broad state of emergency powers

Under the state of emergency, civilians can be tried in military court for "breach of security."
Lebanese security forces hold their position during clashes with protesters in downtown Beirut on August 8, 2020, following a demonstration against a political leadership they blame for a monster explosion that killed more than 150 people and disfigured the capital Beirut. - As security forces focused their attention on a tense demonstration a few hundred metres down the road, a group led by retired Lebanese army officers stormed the foreign ministry and declared it the "headquarters of the revolution". (Ph
Lebanese security forces hold their position during clashes with protesters in downtown Beirut on Aug. 8, 2020, following a demonstration against a political leadership they blame for a monster explosion that killed more than 170 people and disfigured the country's capital. - JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

Lebanon’s parliament granted a broad set of powers to the government today, approving a state of emergency in the aftermath of the deadly Beirut blast. 

The day after the explosion, Lebanon’s Cabinet declared a two-week state of emergency, which after eight days was subject to parliamentary approval. Authorized by the parliament today, the state of emergency is set to end Aug. 21 but can be renewed. 

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