Two years on from the Beirut explosion, I'm still chasing justice for my little boy

Isaac was sitting in his highchair eating dinner at 6.08pm when the port exploded, decimating the entire city. Just one piece of glass hit Isaac. In the heart.

It was enough.

One piece of glass, no bigger than the palm of my hand, and our whole world changed. A piece of glass that my body could have absorbed, but was too much for his tiny frame, his tiny organs.

Isaac died several hours later in hospital of cardiac arrest and massive internal bleeding. He was the youngest recorded victim of the explosion.

In the 22 months since, I, along with many other victims, have been fighting for justice. Immediately after the explosion, the Lebanese government promised an investigation would be completed within days. Instead, what we have seen is an investigation marred by political interference and unconscionable delays. The investigation has been suspended since December 2021, the fifth suspension since it began.

It is time for the international community to step up and seek answers on behalf of the victims. Without answers, we can't even begin to think about justice.

I have worked for the United Nations for seven years. Before the UN, I worked at the International Criminal Court. I have dedicated my career to the ideals of justice, accountability and upholding human rights.

I now find myself on the other side - as a victim calling for justice.

I understand from my professional experience that there was a very real need to give the Lebanese investigation a chance before the international community intervened. However, all we have seen over the past 22 months in Lebanon is delays, due process violations and political interference. It is abundantly clear now that the Lebanese authorities - the same authorities who knew the ammonium nitrate was stored unsafely at the port and posed a risk to the city - will do absolutely anything to ensure the investigation is not completed. They will stop at nothing to ensure the culprits, not the victims, are protected and never brought to justice.

I have heard people say that the explosion was an accident, at best a domestic crime resulting from negligence, and not the place for international intervention.

But make no mistake, this was not some unfortunate accident. In a 700-page report, Human Rights Watch found evidence to suggest that a number of high-level military, security and government officials foresaw the significant threat to life posed by the presence of the ammonium nitrate at the port, and tacitly accepted the risk of the death occurring. This amounts to a violation of the right to life under international law.

In advocating for an international investigation, I have heard many excuses and empty rhetoric from government officials - both Australian and foreign. I have been told "it isn't the right time", "there isn't the appetite", "there are political considerations", "you're flogging a dead horse".

What the victims want, need and deserve, is always at the bottom of the pile of considerations.

At the one-year anniversary, then prime minister Scott Morrison issued a statement - with no reference to Isaac - in which he said he "prayed for justice". This is despite the fact I had clearly informed his government of concrete steps they could take to actually pursue justice.

The time for empty rhetoric - and prayers - is over. Isaac, and all of the victims, deserve to be prioritised.

In March 2021, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Senator Penny Wong - then opposition leader and shadow minister for foreign affairs - issued a statement calling on the Morrison government to work with Lebanon and the international community to deliver an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the Beirut Port explosion. They stated, "It is time the Australian government stepped up to rally the international community to ensure that the Lebanese people get the answers they deserve."

Now that Labor has formed government, I am calling on them to do just that. In the advocacy I have undertaken with Human Rights Watch and Legal Action Worldwide, we have found an increasing number of governments supportive of establishing an international, independent investigation, but none are yet willing to take the lead. Australia can and should assume that role.

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What are we calling for exactly? Firstly, in the June session of the United Nations Human Rights Council we are seeking Australia to lead on issuing a joint statement with like-minded states, calling out the culture of impunity in Lebanon and expressing support for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the explosion. This will put much-needed pressure on the Lebanese authorities and remind them that the world is watching and pushing for justice.

Secondly, we are calling on Australia to lead on tabling a resolution in the September session of the Human Rights Council, which establishes an investigation into the explosion. Australia is not currently a member of the council, but that does not preclude it from tabling a resolution. There is clear precedent for the council establishing such an investigation - it has approved over 30 such investigative bodies since 2006. All that is required is a nation willing to take the lead.

Why Australia? Well, for Isaac, the youngest victim of the explosion. He deserves to have his country fight for his rights.

Australia also has strong ties with Lebanon and a large Australian-Lebanese community, many of whom had family and friends affected by the blast. I have spent time reaching out to members of the Australian-Lebanese community, and there is broad support within the community for an international investigation.

There's also the fact that as a middle power, Australia can have incredible sway over other countries to bring them on board. Australia is generally well respected in the international community, but that clout has been wasted over the past few years under the Morrison government, with foreign affairs taking a back seat. But we have seen the impact Australia can have on the international stage - for example, Australia was instrumental in pushing for an investigation into the downing of MH17 and for seeking compensation from the Russians - arguably a much larger beast to tackle than Lebanon.

Seeking an international investigation into the Beirut blast would be a way for the new Labor government to put Australia back on the map in regard to foreign affairs. It would require little political capital and demonstrate Labor's commitment to pursing human rights, justice and accountability - for Isaac, and for all the victims of this devastating explosion.