Two Lebanese parliamentarians charged in connection with the 2020 Beirut port explosion were re-elected in the first election since the disaster, leaving some victims’ families fearful of more delays in the probe.

Many in Lebanon blame senior political and security leaders for the accident, which killed more than 215 people. The topic of accountability for the bombing has been a major rallying point for opposition candidates and people.

Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter, both competing for the Hezbollah-backed Shi’ite Amal Movement, won seats in Baalbek-Hermel and south Lebanon, according to Interior Ministry data.

Khalil and Zeaiter were accused in December 2020, although they deny any wrongdoing and have refused to attend questioning hearings, citing parliamentary immunity.

The charges against them have not been made public since the investigations are ongoing.

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Rima Zahed, whose brother Amin was killed in the blast and who sits on a victims’ committee, called their win a “farce.”

“We are worried and provoked,” said Kayan Tleis, whose 39-year-old brother Mohammad was killed in the blast, according to Reuters.

Security officers ignored an arrest warrant issued for Khalil, citing parliamentary immunity as an excuse.

Suits launched by suspects, including the two MPs, against the judge overseeing the investigation have put the investigation on hold for months.

Nonetheless, relatives of victims said they were encouraged by victories by newbie opposition candidates in Beirut, who won five of the capital’s two electoral districts’ 19 seats.

“There are more people in parliament who can help us… They are individuals who will aid our cause,” Tleis stated. “I’m hoping that justice will come quickly.”

Melhem Khalaf, the former chairman of the Beirut Bar Association, who was endorsed by the relatives of the bomb victims, was one of the newcomers who won.

“He is our voice,” Zahed said at his home on Monday night, praising Khalaf’s triumph.