The Hague: The international tribunal investigating the death of ex-Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri said Monday it would appoint a special investigator to identify those responsible for leaking witness details in the case.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon “will appoint a special investigator to probe three incidents which could potentially be considered interference with the administration of justice through publication of alleged witness identities,” a statement said.
The move relates to three incidents which “have been deemed confidential by the judge for the time being. The scope and timeline of the investigation will be decided at a later date,” the court said.
Tribunal president David Baragwanath has ordered the investigation remain confidential “to preserve its integrity.”
The move follows the publication earlier this month in Lebanon of a list of 167 alleged witnesses for the STL, along with photographs and details of their professions and addresses.
The publication was claimed by a previously unknown group identified as “Journalists for the truth” who said they sought to “unveil the corruption” of the court.
After the list was published, the tribunal insisted it was not complete but warned those behind the publication were “potentially endangering the lives of Lebanese citizens.”
The STL was set up by the United Nations at Lebanon’s request and seeks to try four members of the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah for the attack that killed Hariri and 22 others in Beirut on February 14, 2005.
Hezbollah accuses the court of being part of an “Israeli-US” plot, and has yet to hand over the four.
The STL has given rise to fierce debate in Lebanon, which is sharply divided into the camp led by Hezbollah and its rivals in the March 14 movement.
Although it was meant to begin on March 25, the judicial process has been postponed indefinitely as the defence team has argued it has not received the necessary documents from the prosecution.
