- 2020 Blast Kills 218 and Shatters the Capital.
- Lebanese Probe Delayed by Political Interference.
- New Leadership Renews Drive for Justice.
Bulgarian police have taken Igor Grechushkin, the Russian-Cypriot shipowner connected to the Beirut port explosion, into custody at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia after he arrived from Cyprus. This comes nearly five years after Interpol issued warrants for him and the ship’s captain. Lebanese officials are now working on the extradition paperwork, and if the request is turned down, investigators might head to Bulgaria to question him there, reports Marine Insight.
The Abandoned Cargo
This case centres around 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that made its way to Beirut in 2013 after the ship carrying it ran into technical issues and was held up due to safety concerns. The owner abandoned the cargo, and the ship eventually sank at the pier. The ammonium nitrate was unloaded and stored in a warehouse close to the city’s grain silos, where it sat for years without adequate safety measures.
The 2020 Beirut Explosion
On August 4, 2020, a fire broke out in the warehouse, triggering a massive explosion that claimed at least 218 lives, injured over 6,000 people, and caused widespread destruction across Beirut. The blast resulted in billions of dollars in damage and worsened Lebanon’s already dire economic situation, which the World Bank has labelled as one of the worst crises in modern history. Investigations showed that only about one-fifth of the stored ammonium nitrate actually exploded, leading to suspicions that a significant portion of the cargo had been secretly removed. On the day of the explosion, workers were welding the warehouse doors shut, which likely sparked the fire that led to the devastating blast.
Questions Over Responsibility
The focus quickly shifted to the abandoned shipment and who was to blame for it. Grechushkin was often pointed out as the person behind the vessel, but later investigations hinted that another Cypriot shipping tycoon might actually be the true beneficial owner, with Grechushkin possibly just acting as a charterer.
A Challenging Investigation
Lebanon’s probe into the explosion has encountered numerous obstacles. In December 2020, Judge Fadi Sawan charged former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and three ex-ministers with negligence, but he was soon ousted due to political meddling. His successor, Judge Tarek Bitar, tried to summon high-ranking political, security, and judicial officials, but faced legal hurdles and pushback from Lebanon’s ruling elite.
A Renewed Drive for Justice
The investigation picked up steam again in early 2025 after President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took office, both vowing to seek justice for the victims. The new administration empowered Judge Bitar with full authority to carry on his work. The arrest of Igor Grechushkin in Bulgaria represents the most significant breakthrough in the case since the explosion, sparking hope that accountability might finally be on the horizon.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Marine Insight
