Guidance to the media following the amendment of the indictment

Leidschendam, 6 May 2011 - The STL Prosecutor has announced that he has amended the indictment that was initially filed on January 17^th 2011 to include "substantive new elements". This is the second amendment to that indictment.
 

Whilst there is no fixed timeframe for the review of the indictment and the supporting material the Pre-Trial Judge is working to complete this process as quickly as possible following this amendment. 
 

To ensure that the review is fair and just the large volume of supporting material must be examined carefully and comprehensively. It is anticipated that this will be completed in the coming months.
 

The Pre-Trial Judge can confirm or dismiss the indictment in its entirety, or alternatively reject some counts and confirm others. The indictment and the accompanying evidence remain confidential and any disclosure of its contents might amount to contempt.

 

For further information please contact the STL spokesperson, Marten Youssef.

Prosecutor Daniel A. Bellemare files an amended indictment

Leidschendam, 6 May 2011 – The Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daniel A. Bellemare, filed today an amended indictment, replacing the indictment of 11 March 2011, to include substantive new elements unavailable until recently. 

 

The Prosecutor does not intend to make further amendments to the indictment, unless ordered to do so by the Pre-Trial Judge. Other indictments could, however, be filed in the future if warranted by the evidence.

 

"The amendment of an indictment or the filing of new indictments is and will continue to be guided solely by the evidence uncovered by the ongoing investigation", the Prosecutor stated.  

 

The original Indictment was filed on 17 January 2011 in connection with the attack on former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and others on 14 February 2005.