Beirut, 25 January 2023 (dpa/MIA) – Lebanon‘s top public prosecutor, Ghassan Oweidat, on Wednesday ordered the release of all suspects linked to the huge 2020 Beirut port blast, in a move that has shocked the victims’ families and the lead investigator in the case, judicial sources said.

Lebanese television stations showed a picture of customs chief Badry Daher standing and smiling at his home following his release along with other port officials who were detained in connection with the 2020 blast.

Some 17 people were detained in the aftermath of the August 2020 blast, which killed at least 200 people, injured more than 6,000 others and destroyed entire neighbourhoods in Beirut.

“We are shocked by the prosecutor’s decision,” Nancy Noun, whose brother firefighter died in the blast, told dpa.

“We won’t stay silent. We’ll announce our next moves after consulting with the families,” she added.

Families of the victims have been calling for an international investigation into the blast because they do not trust the Lebanese judiciary, claiming politics plays a major role in their decisions.

The lead investigator handling the explosion case, Judge Tariq Bitar, told the state-run Lebanese National News Agency that he is continuing to investigate the case until an indictment is issued.

On Monday, Bitar made a sudden announcement that he is resuming the investigation into the case, following a 13-month halt due to political bickering.

He said the decision taken by Oweidat regarding the release of the detainees is “illegal and must not be implemented.”

A judicial source, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media, told dpa: “Oweidat’s move is aimed at cornering Judge Bitar to push him to leave the case.”