STL Defense Head Hints Trials Could be Delayed
The head of the defense office of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Francois Roux, hinted on Wednesday that the trial of Hizbullah members accused of involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri could be delayed.
In remarks to several Beirut newspapers during his visit to the Lebanese capital, Roux said Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen had set March 25 as a provisional date.
But defense lawyers announced that they were not yet ready for the trial's start next month, and the prosecution agreed to their request to push the date, Roux said.
“So I think that the pre-trial judge will take notice of the positions of both the defense and the prosecution,” he told the dailies.
In a hearing chaired by Fransen last week, the lawyers of Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra called for delaying the start of trials after saying that the prosecution had failed to disclose all relevant documents crucial to the case.
But Roux said that the prosecution vowed to complete disclosure of all documents by Feb. 15. “We are waiting.”
In June last year, the court issued warrants for the four members of Hizbullah and Interpol has also issued a "red notice" for the suspects.
But none of them have been arrested.
The court's judges in October turned down an appeal by the four men's lawyers -- who represent them in absentia -- in which they argued that the tribunal had no jurisdiction in the case.
Set up by a U.N. resolution in 2007 at Lebanon's request to probe Hariri's murder in a massive car bomb attack on the Beirut seafront on Feb. 2005, the STL is the first court of its kind to deal with terrorism as a distinct crime.
Roux said in his remarks published Wednesday that his visit to Beirut is aimed at discussing with the Lebanese authorities their cooperation with the tribunal.
He met on Wednesday with General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi, a day after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi.
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