Region | Lebanon
Special court to try suspects in absentia
All the accused are members of Hezbollah
- (AFP
- Published: 00:00 February 3, 2012
The Hague: The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon said on Thursday it hoped to start in 2012 the trial in absentia of four Hezbollah suspects, indicted over the killing of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri."The trial chamber of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has decided to try the four men accused of the 14 February 2005 attack in their absence," The Hague-based court said in a statement.
"The trial chamber concluded that all reasonable steps have been taken to secure the appearance of the accused and to notify them of the charges against them," it added.
The STL sent arrest warrants for Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussain Anaissi and Assad Sabra to Lebanese authorities on June 30, and Interpol issued a "red notice" in July.
Beirut has however failed to arrest them.
Confirmation
The four are accused of assassinating Hariri and 21 others in a massive suicide car bomb blast near a Beirut hotel on February 14, 2005, while the billionaire politician was on his way home.
"This announcement confirms that nothing will hinder the process of justice and the quest for the truth," said MP Aammar Houry, a member of the pro-western opposition bloc headed by Hariri's son and former prime minister Sa'ad Hariri.
"This court is strong and unwavering," he told AFP.
There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah, the Iranian- and Syrian-backed militant group, which dominates the Lebanese government and is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Washington.
The tribunal said on November 23 it was waiting for information from Beirut on measures taken to arrest the suspects and for a report from the prosecutor's office before taking a decision on a trial in absentia.
The trial chamber received the prosecution's confidential report in December, STL spokesman Marten Yousuf said.
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