STL assigned counsel to the 4 accused Hezbollah members

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued a press release in which it stated that the Head of STL Defense Office assigned permanent counsel to defend the four Hezbollah members accused in the assassination of former lebanese PM Rafik Hariri

Here is the text of the press release : (more…)

STL’s Bellemare decides not to seek a second term

The Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for the Lebanon (STL) , Daniel Bellemare, has informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that, for health reasons, he does not intend to seek reappointment for a second term as Prosecutor at the end of February 2012, according to STL website.
(more…)

Lebanon PM denies that Syria interfered in his STL funding decision

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied on Saturday that Syria interfered in his decision to pay Lebanon’s share of funds to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). (more…)

STL Funding and Lebanese Polity

by Ghassan Karam
And so Lebanon dodges another bullet. What was billed, by all sides, as being potentially an explosive event ended up being a whimper just like the Elliot had predicted in “The Hollow Men” :

Assad intervened personally to ensure STL funding

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad personally “intervened ” to ensure that Lebanon will finance the UN court probing former PM Rafik Hariri’s murder, Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah reported on Saturday. (more…)

Lebanese Trial in Absentia Faces Many Obstacles to Justice

JURIST Guest Columnist Niccolò Pons, Assistant Legal Officer of the Pre-Trial Chambers of the International Criminal Court, says that there are many obstacles for the Lebanese court both in obtaining and carrying out a trial in absentia, but that it can still be an effective tool in furthering international justice and accountability… (more…)

MP Helou: The way Lebanon paid STL is illegal

Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Helou said on Thursday that the way Lebanon’s government paid its share of funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) was “illegal”.

Helou told OTV television station that Lebanon’s Central Bank is not allowed to grant loans to the public sector, unless faced with an exceptional situation.

“What happened was illegal,” Helou stressed. (more…)

UN wants Lebanon to fully cooperate with STL

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins conveyed on Thursday to Prime Minister Najib Mikati “the UN’s expectations that Lebanon would continue to uphold its remaining international obligations and to cooperate fully with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).” (more…)

Hezbollah approved the transfer of the funds to STL, report

Al Nahar newspaper reported that Speaker nabih Berri called PM Nagib Mikati Tuesday evening to inform him that Hezbollah has approved the transfer of Lebanon’s share for funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon , but the PM insisted on receiving the approval directly from Hezbollah . (more…)

US welcomes Mikati’s funding of Lebanon’s share of STL

Washington on Wednesday welcomed Lebanon’s decision to pay its dues to a UN-backed tribunal probing the murder of ex-premier Rafik Hariri but said the country’s commitment to the court did not stop with the funding. (more…)