Explainer-The Beirut port blast: Why has there been no accountability?

FILE PHOTO: Families of the victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion gather during a protest near the parliament building, in Beirut, Lebanon January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's top public prosecutor on Wednesday charged the judge investigating the 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed at least 220 people, stymieing his effort to hold members of the ruling elite accountable.

Public prosecutor Ghassan Oweidat, who rejected Judge Tarek Bitar's decision to resume the inquiry, also ordered the release of people detained in connection with the blast.