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Beirut Port Blast Suspect Faces Extradition Hearing in Madrid

A general view shows the grain silo damaged during the 2020 Beirut port explosion, in Beirut Lebanon January 17, 2022. (Reuters)
A general view shows the grain silo damaged during the 2020 Beirut port explosion, in Beirut Lebanon January 17, 2022. (Reuters)
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Beirut Port Blast Suspect Faces Extradition Hearing in Madrid

A general view shows the grain silo damaged during the 2020 Beirut port explosion, in Beirut Lebanon January 17, 2022. (Reuters)
A general view shows the grain silo damaged during the 2020 Beirut port explosion, in Beirut Lebanon January 17, 2022. (Reuters)

A Portuguese man faced an extradition hearing in Madrid over allegations he was involved in the devastating 2020 port explosion in Beirut, authorities said on Thursday.

The man, named in court as Jorge Manuel Mirra Neto Moreira, flew to Chile from the Spanish capital this week but was put on a plane back to Madrid after Chilean authorities detained him at the request of global police agency Interpol.

Lebanon's justice minister Henry Khoury did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Lebanon would seek the man's extradition.

Extradition processes in Spain can take several months.

Moreira is not allowed to leave Spain. His passport has been taken away and he must appear before authorities on a weekly basis, a judicial source said.

A juridical source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Moreira came to Beirut in 2014 and examined the cargo at Beirut port.

Former Investigative Judge Fadi Sawan issued Interpol Red Notices for Moreira and the captain, added the source.

A source from Portugal's national criminal investigation police unit PJ said Moreira had previously appeared before a court in the northern Portuguese city of Porto as a result of the Interpol notice, but the court shelved the case because Lebanon failed to send the required documentation.

The same could happen in Spain if Lebanon does not send the needed documentation, the PJ source said.

The massive port explosion on August 4, 2020, which was due to the unsafe storage of large quantities of ammonium nitrate, killed at least 214 people, while more than 6,500 were injured, and devastated entire neighborhoods of the capital.

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Israel Expands Syria Intervention Under ‘Druze Protection’ Pretext

Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)
Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)
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Israel Expands Syria Intervention Under ‘Druze Protection’ Pretext

Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)
Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)

Israel expanded its involvement in Syria, launching one of its most intense airstrikes in years on Friday night and into Saturday morning.
The broad operation included what Israeli media described as “covert operations,” which ranged from air drops of humanitarian aid to evacuating wounded individuals to Israel, along with other undisclosed activities.
The Israeli military carried out an extensive offensive across Syria between Friday and Saturday, targeting military sites, air defense systems, and ground-to-air missile infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the army distributed aid to the Druze community in the southwestern city of Sweida and evacuated five wounded individuals to Israel.
Reports in Israel indicated that a helicopter landed in Sweida, dropped off the aid, evacuated the wounded, and then took off shortly after.
These reports are often used by Israeli media when military censorship prevents the release of details from within the country.
The Israeli military announced that its fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes in Syria, less than 24 hours after targeting a site near the presidential palace in Damascus.
The strikes came amid Israeli warnings to Syria’s new rulers not to harm the country's Druze minority, following sectarian clashes. The military said the raids targeted a military facility, anti-aircraft artillery, and ground-to-air missile infrastructure.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Israel is preparing a list of additional military and government targets for future strikes inside Syria.
The announcement from the Israeli military came about two hours after Syria's state news agency, SANA, reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted areas near Damascus, as well as locations in Latakia, Hama, and Daraa in the south.
In addition to the airstrikes, the Israeli military confirmed that five Syrian Druze were evacuated to Ziv Hospital in Safed. The army also stated that “Israeli forces are deployed in the southern Syrian region, prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area and Druze villages.”
This development marked a significant escalation in Israel's involvement in Syria.
A military analyst writing for Maariv noted that the Israeli military has expanded its intervention in the conflict between Syrian government forces and the Druze, confirming that helicopters transported aid to the Druze forces and evacuated the wounded to Israel.
They mentioned that the Israeli side has refrained from providing further details about the operation.
According to the analyst, there are several reasons for Israel’s intervention in Syria, one of which is the belief that the Syrian Druze could help stabilize the northern Golan Heights.
According to Israeli strategy, the area between the border and 80 kilometers deep inside Syrian territory should remain demilitarized, which is why Israel has a vested interest in supporting the Druze living in this buffer zone.