PM Salam: August 4 Must Mark the End of Impunity and the Start of Justice
8/4/2025 8:21:00 AM
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that a state of law is not built on slogans, but rather is a place where the judiciary is respected and its independence is preserved.
His words came in a speech delivered before a joint dialogue session held today at the National Library in Sanayeh, in presence of Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh and Social Affairs Minister Hanin Al-Sayyed, devoted to discussing the repercussions of the August 4 explosion, five years after its occurrence.
Salam said: “On this day, we recall one of the most painful moments in our contemporary history. A moment that did not only affect the families of the martyrs and victims, but also affected the entire nation in its heart and conscience. The August 4 explosion was not just a humanitarian disaster; it was a shocking moment in which trust between the citizen and the state was tested...Therefore, knowing the truth about what happened, and holding those responsible accountable, is not a private demand, but a universal national issue."
He continued, "Today, we cannot commemorate August 4 without remembering every name of the martyrs and victims, who are never forgotten. Each of them represents a lost story in the memory of this nation....Their wounds remain open because justice has not yet been achieved and because accountability has been delayed."
He said that Beirut was targeted in its heart, yet our beloved city rose from its ashes and remains resilient with the will to live and national solidarity prevailing.
"A generation that wasn't responsible for what happened is now at the forefront of those demanding justice, because they want a state that preserves people's security and protects their livelihoods. This is the invincible face of Lebanon and the Lebanese," Salam maintained.
He affirmed that without justice, there is no meaning to citizenship, and no point to the state. "There is no state without law, no law without a judiciary, and no judiciary without accountability," he stressed.
Salam considered that the culture of impunity has perpetuated corruption and collapses in the country and left political crimes unanswered. "It is this culture that has brought us to this point, because it has abolished the principle of responsibility, undermined the principle of equality before the law, and undermined accountability. Therefore, confronting this culture requires a fundamental commitment," he underlined.
"It is the starting point for any real reform and any sound building of state institutions. There is no sovereignty without accountability. There is no reform without accountability. There is no rule of law without accountability," he reiterated.
The Prime Minister considered that a fair trial is not a favor for anyone, but rather a duty of the state, a right for victims as well as for the accused, and a guarantee of justice itself. "Hence, the government's commitment, and my personal commitment, was to push forward with the adoption of a law on the independence of the judiciary, as it is the gateway to ending the era of interference and impunity, and transitioning to a state governed solely by the rule of law," he confirmed, emphasizing that there can be no compromise at the expense of justice.
"There is no end to this national wound except by revealing the truth and holding those responsible—all those responsible, whoever they may be—accountable before the judiciary," Salam underlined.
He renewed commitment to what was pledged in the ministerial statement: "building a strong, just, sovereign, free, and independent state, one that will spare no effort to end the Israeli occupation of every inch of our land and extend the state's exclusive authority over all of its territory, and one in which the decision of war and peace rests solely with it and where justice is achieved.
"Our only path to this goal is to continue the process of political, financial, and administrative reform," he affirmed, adding, "This is our national, humanitarian, and moral duty toward the martyrs, the victims, and their memories."
He continued, "This is my personal belief: that Lebanon, despite all the difficulties, is capable of rising up through the will and determination of its young men and women, and that justice, even if delayed, must be achieved, and it can only be achieved by uncovering the truth."
"Let us render August 4th the end of the era of impunity and the beginning of the era of the state of law, the state of justice," Salam concluded.
His words came in a speech delivered before a joint dialogue session held today at the National Library in Sanayeh, in presence of Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh and Social Affairs Minister Hanin Al-Sayyed, devoted to discussing the repercussions of the August 4 explosion, five years after its occurrence.
Salam said: “On this day, we recall one of the most painful moments in our contemporary history. A moment that did not only affect the families of the martyrs and victims, but also affected the entire nation in its heart and conscience. The August 4 explosion was not just a humanitarian disaster; it was a shocking moment in which trust between the citizen and the state was tested...Therefore, knowing the truth about what happened, and holding those responsible accountable, is not a private demand, but a universal national issue."
He continued, "Today, we cannot commemorate August 4 without remembering every name of the martyrs and victims, who are never forgotten. Each of them represents a lost story in the memory of this nation....Their wounds remain open because justice has not yet been achieved and because accountability has been delayed."
He said that Beirut was targeted in its heart, yet our beloved city rose from its ashes and remains resilient with the will to live and national solidarity prevailing.
"A generation that wasn't responsible for what happened is now at the forefront of those demanding justice, because they want a state that preserves people's security and protects their livelihoods. This is the invincible face of Lebanon and the Lebanese," Salam maintained.
He affirmed that without justice, there is no meaning to citizenship, and no point to the state. "There is no state without law, no law without a judiciary, and no judiciary without accountability," he stressed.
Salam considered that the culture of impunity has perpetuated corruption and collapses in the country and left political crimes unanswered. "It is this culture that has brought us to this point, because it has abolished the principle of responsibility, undermined the principle of equality before the law, and undermined accountability. Therefore, confronting this culture requires a fundamental commitment," he underlined.
"It is the starting point for any real reform and any sound building of state institutions. There is no sovereignty without accountability. There is no reform without accountability. There is no rule of law without accountability," he reiterated.
The Prime Minister considered that a fair trial is not a favor for anyone, but rather a duty of the state, a right for victims as well as for the accused, and a guarantee of justice itself. "Hence, the government's commitment, and my personal commitment, was to push forward with the adoption of a law on the independence of the judiciary, as it is the gateway to ending the era of interference and impunity, and transitioning to a state governed solely by the rule of law," he confirmed, emphasizing that there can be no compromise at the expense of justice.
"There is no end to this national wound except by revealing the truth and holding those responsible—all those responsible, whoever they may be—accountable before the judiciary," Salam underlined.
He renewed commitment to what was pledged in the ministerial statement: "building a strong, just, sovereign, free, and independent state, one that will spare no effort to end the Israeli occupation of every inch of our land and extend the state's exclusive authority over all of its territory, and one in which the decision of war and peace rests solely with it and where justice is achieved.
"Our only path to this goal is to continue the process of political, financial, and administrative reform," he affirmed, adding, "This is our national, humanitarian, and moral duty toward the martyrs, the victims, and their memories."
He continued, "This is my personal belief: that Lebanon, despite all the difficulties, is capable of rising up through the will and determination of its young men and women, and that justice, even if delayed, must be achieved, and it can only be achieved by uncovering the truth."
"Let us render August 4th the end of the era of impunity and the beginning of the era of the state of law, the state of justice," Salam concluded.