France has joined the United States in warning Lebanon that its failure to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would negatively impact French-Lebanese bilateral ties.

In an interview with pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat published on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said: “We ask the Lebanese government to allow the international tribunal to carry out its work and renew its mandate.”

Hizbullah sources denied on Friday that it had received word that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon had received a memorandum from former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Marwan Dalal confirming Israel’s involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The sources told Akhbar al-Yawm news agency: “This is a new test of the STL’s credibility.”

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman warned of “consequences” on the U.S.-Lebanese bilateral ties if Beirut refused to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Feltman told al-Arabiya satellite TV network that Washington will have to take harsh measures if the Lebanese failed to pay their share to the STL that is set to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins.

Counsel assigned as duty counsel by the Head of Defense Office Francois Roux met over three days at the headquarters of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon for intensive working sessions, announced the STL in a statement.

They were able to familiarize themselves with the various administrative aspects of the tribunal and to discuss, together with the Defense Office, the different legal questions certain to be asked of the tribunal in the form, in particular, of preliminary motions, it explained.

The acting spokesman of Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare confirmed to Naharnet that the judge is currently away from the STL seat but stressed that he is following up the work of his office.

“As a matter of policy we do not discuss details of the health of staff,” Gregory Townsend, the senior legal officer and acting spokesperson of Bellemare’s office, told Naharnet.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Daniel Bellemare is suffering from an advanced stage of diabetes, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Thursday.

Bellemare has isolated himself in a room in Canada away from the people’s sight over his “serious illness,” it said.

Students supporting al-Mustaqbal movement and others backing the March 8 forces clashed on Tuesday during a ceremony on the birthday of slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri at Lebanese American University in Beirut.

A student told Naharnet by telephone that supporters of Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement provoked the pro-Hariri students.

More than 60 people have applied to participate as victims before the STL in the case of Ayyash et al., announced the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in a statement.

“A deadline for their applications had been set by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen on 8 September and expired on October 31,” it added.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Tuesday that officials should deal wisely with the funding of the Special Tribunal of Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime minister Rafik Hariri since the timeframe ends at the beginning of March.

“There’s no reason for us to rush with the STL issue,” Berri said in remarks to As Safir newspaper.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday that Lebanon “should fund” the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ruling out any threat if the cabinet doesn’t pay Lebanon’s share to the court.

In remarks to Ad-Diyar daily, Suleiman said that Lebanon is characterized by its commitment to the United Nations legitimacy and its international resolutions.