EU Says Beirut Port Probe Must Continue, Condemns Use of Violence

The European Union condemned Friday "the use of violence" duting the demonstration against the judge leading the investigation into the Beirut Port blast.

The EU expressed, in a statement, its condolences to the families of the victims and called for "utmost restraint to avoid further senseless loss of life."

"We urge all parties and leaders to act calmly and responsibly to prevent an escalation of violence at this critical time for Lebanon. The priority must lie on tackling constructively and urgently all the crises Lebanon and its people have to put up with for already a very long time," the statement said.

The EU reiterated that "the investigation into the 4 August 2020 Beirut Port blast needs to be completed as soon as possible."

"It should be impartial, credible, transparent as well as independent. The investigation should be allowed to proceed without any interference in legal proceedings and those responsible for the blast should be finally held accountable."

The EU Spokesperson added in the statement that "it is up to the Lebanese authorities to enable the probe to continue with all the necessary financial and human resources, so it can shed light on what happened and provide credible answers to the pressing questions from the Lebanese people about why and how this tragic event happened."