Monday, December 23, 2013

Defence Office Press Release - Counsel assigned to represent the rights and interests of the Accused Hassan Habib Merhi

Leidschendam, 23 December 2013 – The Head of Defence Office was seized of a letter from the Pre-Trial Judge, dated 20 December 2013, requesting him to assign counsel to the Accused Hassan Habib Merhi, following the decision of the Trial Chamber of the same day which decided to initiate proceedings in absentia.
On 20 December 2013, the Head of Defence Office appointed Mr. Mohamed Aouini, counsel at the Tunis Bar, as lead counsel to defend the rights and interests of Mr. Merhi. Mr. Aouini has extensive experience in international criminal law, notably before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and speaks Arabic and French.
Mr. Aouini is already working on interviewing several lawyers and legal officers, notably Lebanese lawyers included on the list of counsel, in order to create his defence team. Once the team is set up, and after it has received the evidence disclosed by the Office of the Prosecutor, the team will be in a position to study and analyse the voluminous Prosecution file, and subsequently conduct its investigations so as to prepare the defence for Mr. Merhi.
The Head of Defence Office recalls that the defence team for Mr. Merhi must have adequate time and means, on the same terms as those accorded to the Office of the Prosecutor, in order to accomplish its mission to ensure the Accused has a fair trial.
"To defend is to refuse to accept anything which has not been scrutinised analytically". Mr Jean Boudot, Marseille, France.

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