Minister of Justice: No Forgetting, No Bargaining on Accountability

Minister of Justice Lawyer Adel Nassar sponsored a public discussion panel titled "Towards Judicial Accountability: Political Assassinations in Lebanon" (Accountability at Work: Political Assassinations in Lebanon), invited by the "Louqmman Slim Foundation" in cooperation with the "Friedrich Ebert Foundation," at the Ministry of Justice headquarters. The event was attended by MPs George Caccour and Najat Saliba, families of martyrs and victims, and a gathering of political, human rights, legal, and media figures, as well as representatives of civil society organizations.

Minister Nassar began his speech by welcoming the attendees, affirming that "the hosting of this meeting by the Ministry of Justice stems from a firm belief that the file of political assassinations lies at the heart of the Lebanese conscience." He stated: "The Lebanese judiciary is burdened with heavy and very heavy loads, and is demanded to intervene in all Lebanese issues and cases, whether small or large. It is asked to intervene in daily affairs such as controlling supermarket prices and monitoring generators, up to files of assassinations, drugs, and major crimes."

He added: "We have about 520 judges who are required to adjudicate civil and commercial disputes, intervene in daily affairs, alongside addressing fundamental crimes that shake the conscience of all Lebanon, due to the accumulations and major violations left by successive wars."

While stressing "rejection of impunity," he said: "Time must not make us forget the crimes, even if investigations have not reached what we demand from them. Memory, rejection of crime, and most importantly, not becoming accustomed to it, are essential matters for society. When we become accustomed to targeting journalists, politicians, or thinkers and consider it part of natural risks, we have descended to the level of complicity with crime."

He continued: "The Lebanese people, like any people in the world, must look at their history with awareness and seriousness to prove their steps towards building a solid future. We hope to reach the stage where weapons are confined to the hands of the Lebanese state, after which we will launch into a comprehensive process of confession and societal reconciliation without ever relinquishing accountability and reckoning."

He concluded: "It is the duty of the state to officially recognize the pain of families and their sacrifices. After the noise accompanying any security event and immediate solidarity, we reach a stage where the families of victims find themselves alone facing the tragedy of desolation and isolation. Our duty today is summarized in four points: no forgetting, recognition of pain, rejection of non-accountability, and building a society that draws lessons from the past."

For her part, Ms. Monica Borgmann, Co-Director of the "Amam Foundation for Documentation and Research" and the "Louqmman Slim Foundation," delivered the foundation's speech, welcoming the attendees and expressing her appreciation to Minister of Justice Adel Nassar for sponsoring and hosting the event at the Ministry of Justice. She recalled "the broader slogan under which this seminar falls, which is working against the culture of killing, a concept long adopted by the late Louqmman Slim in his reading and description of the political and social scene in Lebanon."

She said: "'Manara' is a national coalition for victims of political assassinations that brings together families of victims, legal experts, activists, and all those committed to pursuing justice. We appreciate the decision of the Minister of Justice to appoint 11 judges to reopen files of major assassinations and assassination attempts, and we hope for more judicial files to be opened in the near future."

She added: "Today we launch the report 'Lost in Justice,' prepared by lawyer Farouk Al-Maghrabi, which highlights the judicial path and circumstances of the files of martyr Samir Kassir and minister Marwan Hamadeh."

Following the opening speeches, a discussion panel was held, moderated by Hana Jabbar, Executive Director of the "Louqmman Slim Foundation," and participated by: Minister Nassar, Mr. Zahid Eid, son of martyr MP Walid Eid, lawyer Shukri Haddad, Elsie Mfarrej representing the Alternative Press Syndicate, and lawyer Farouk Al-Maghrabi, author of the report "Lost in Justice."

The discussions during the session focused on 4 main axes covering the experiences of victims' families and suffering in the corridors of the judiciary, dismantling mechanisms of impunity, judicial policies to be followed to enhance accountability, and the role of media and alternative platforms in raising awareness and demanding justice for political crimes.