Leak-proof STL through al Sharq al Awsat: "Five high ranking Hezbollah officials to be indicted in Hariri tribunal"

Five Hezbollah to be indicted in Hariri assassination

By JPOST.COM STAFF
 
06/27/2011 09:49
Special Tribunal for Lebanon expected to begin releasing indictments for Rafik Hariri assassination in the next few days.

Five high ranking Hezbollah officials are expected to be indicted in the next few days by the United Nations special tribunal investigating the assassination of Rafik Hariri, London-based Asharq Alawsat reported on Monday.

Once the indictments are released, the identities of the accused will be kept secret for a short period in order to allow the Lebanese government to investigate and arrest them, according to the report.

Initially, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) probing the murder of Rafik Hariri focused on Syria. Lately, indications suggest that the main focus is now on Hezbollah.

Tension is currently rising in Lebanon, amid reports that the STL is to issue indictments in the very near future. The tribunal is tasked with investigating the 2005 murder of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, which took place on February 14, 2005. The indictments were orginally expected to be issued by the end of 2010, but were postponed several times.

The Hariri tribunal has followed a long and winding path since its formation shortly after the murder. In its initial period, it was expected that its main angle of investigation would focus on the Syrians. Hariri was known as a defender of Lebanese sovereignty and therefore a natural adversary of the Syrian regime.

Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's filing of the indictment in January and expansion in March set off political crises in Lebanon, where the Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies toppled the government of Hariri's son, Saad Hariri. The release of the indictments is expected to have serious ramifications in Lebanon and region-wide, even threatening to throw Lebanon into civil war.


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<> <><><> <><> STL Indictment in Few Days: Lebanese Press

Local Editor

Lebanese newspapers reported on Monday, citing informed sources, that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) would soon release the indictment in the assassination case of former premier Rafiq Hariri. Sources told Pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that the STL was expected to make a request to Lebanese authorities to question five Hezbollah members in the next few days. These sources told the daily that the names of the five people would remain confidential for a short period. For its part, al-Hayat daily quoted a source in Paris as saying that the Lebanese judiciary will be informed on Monday or Tuesday about the indictment. The last batch of Lebanese judges who are members of the international court has left Beirut through European airports to The Hague where the tribunal is based, al-Hayat said. As-Safir newspaper also reported, citing well-informed sources, that the judges were summoned three days ago in an effort to protect them ahead of the release of the indictment and in its aftermath. Other reports said the Lebanese authorities had received a copy of the indictment. However, General Prospector Saeed Mirza denied, telling al-Joumhouria newspaper that he “will announce it” when he receives it. Leaking information related to the content of a judgment or indictment in any case is considered illegal. Many other information were leaked since the STL was established, something which raises doubts over the honesty and credibility of such an international court.

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