Lebanese President Michel Aoun has granted his exceptional approval for declaring the 4th of August a national day of mourning in Lebanon.
President Aoun gave the approval on Wednesday morning, less than a month ahead of the first anniversary of the devastating Beirut Port explosion.
The move was announced by Aoun‘s media office, which said that the necessary decree regarding this declaration would be issued later.
People in Lebanon, especially family members and relatives of victims of the deadly blast, had been calling for August 4 to be declared a day of mourning for months.
In June, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced while meeting families of Beirut blast victims that he had approved a draft decree declaring the date as a day of national mourning.
President Aoun‘s exceptional approval comes as the Beirut blast probe enters the prosecution phase.
Lead judicial investigator Judge Tarek Bitar has initiated the process of going after several officials linked to the deadly incident, but the process is being held back by the immunities enjoyed by the targeted officials.
In response to his refusal to lift the immunity of the head of Lebanese General Security, bereaved families of victims stormed caretaker Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi’s residence on Tuesday night.
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