Tarek Bitar

Tarek Bitar (, Akkar, born 1974 ) is a Lebanese judge and the head of Beirut's criminal court, ministers over the blast, which was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate negligently stored in the port for over six years. In September 2021, Bitar received a threat by Hezbollah.

Bitar is described as having no bias or affiliations to any political party. rebuffed by the Lebanese Army, outside the Justice Palace in Eastern Beirut, demanding an end to Bitar's judgeship, accusing him of political bias and incompetence. Clashes erupted between the militants leaving six protesters and one civilian dead. In December 2022 the investigation was suspended and in January 2023 all suspects were released in an illegal manner by Ghassan Oueidat Lebanon's top prosecutor. In May 2025 it was reported that he will issue indictment in the 2020 Beirut port explosion case, on August 4. This will be the fifth anniversary of the disaster.

Biography Born in the village of Aydamun in Akkar, he is married and the father of two children.

In August 2020, at the time of the explosion, his name was put forward by the minister Marie-Claude Najm to lead the investigation ahead of Fadi Sawwan,