Investigation into Beirut port blast resumes after more than a year

A Lebanese army soldier walks amidst the debris at Beirut port on August 7, 2020, three days after a massive blast there shook the Lebanese capital. © Joseph Eid, AFP

The Lebanese judge investigating the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast has resumed his work, a judicial source said, after a 13-month suspension due to political pressure.

"Judge Tarek Bitar has decided to resume his investigation," the official told AFP, adding that he ordered the release of five detained suspects, while charging eight others.