STL Registrar concludes working visit to Lebanon

Leidschendam, 27 February 2015 – The Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daryl Mundis, concluded an official visit to Lebanon today. During his mission to Beirut, the Registrar met the Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam and other senior government officials, as well as representatives of the diplomatic community in Lebanon. The Registrar also met STL staff in Beirut.

"This visit gave me the opportunity to thank the Lebanese Government for its ongoing cooperation with the STL", said Mr Mundis.  "Lebanon's continued support is critical to ensure that the Tribunal fulfils its mandate in a timely and fair manner."

The STL Registrar is responsible for all aspects of the Tribunal's administration including the budget, fundraising, relations with states and court management. His responsibilities also include oversight of the victim participation unit, witness protection and detention facilities.

Election of Judge Ivana Hrdličková as new STL President

Thursday, 19 February 2015 17:50
Leidschendam, 19 February 2015 - Judge Ivana Hrdličková of the Czech Republic has been elected President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, succeeding Judge Sir David Baragwanath of New Zealand. Judge Ralph Riachy of Lebanon has been re-elected as Vice-President.

The Judges of the Appeals Chamber, who met today, elected Judge Hrdličková and Judge Riachy for a period of 18 months, starting from 1 March 2015. The election of the President and the Vice-President is in accordance with Article 8(2) of the Tribunal's Statute and Rule 31 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

Judge Hrdličková began her career as a Judge in 1990 and has presided over both civil and criminal cases. Judge Hrdličková holds a PhD from the law faculty of Charles University in Prague in Shari'a law and speaks Arabic. She was appointed an Appeals Chamber Judge in November 2012.

The President of the Tribunal has a wide range of responsibilities including oversight of the effective functioning of the Tribunal and the good administration of justice, as well as representing the STL in relations with States, the United Nations and other entities.

Judge Sir David Baragwanath, who remains an Appeals Chamber Judge, has served as President of the Tribunal since October 2011. "For more than three years it has been my privilege to be able to serve Lebanon and its people as President of the Tribunal", said Judge Baragwanath.

"As a judge of the Appeals Chamber I now look forward to supporting my very able and competent successor, Judge Hrdličková, as she assumes her new role and responsibilities at the beginning of a new mandate for the STL."

You can read biographies of Judge Hrdličková and Judge Riachy on the STL website.

High resolution pictures of the STL Judges can be found on our Flickr page.

Statement attributable to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri

New York, 14 February 2015

On the tenth anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 21 others who lost their lives on that day, the Secretary-General renews his condolences to the families of the victims of this terrorist attack. A decade on, the message remains that impunity will not be tolerated. The United Nations is committed to support the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, with the continued support and cooperation of the Government of Lebanon.

The United Nations reiterates its long standing commitment to the people of Lebanon on this occasion. As Lebanon faces renewed challenges, the United Nations continues to work with the Government of Lebanon, alongside all Lebanese partners, to support the country in its efforts to strengthen stability and security, in line with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

Statement on the Anniversary of the Death of Rafic Hariri

Remarks
Washington, DC
February 13, 2015

Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, known to many as "Mr. Lebanon," was guided by his vision of a stable, sovereign, and prosperous homeland. For years, he gave hope to Lebanon's youth through scholarship programs that helped to educate generations, even during his country's darkest days. He stood for peaceful change and the resolution of differences through conversations – not carnage. He spent his life working to make Lebanon more democratic, more free, more prosperous, and more secure – for all its people.

Ten years ago today, he was assassinated because some feared he might succeed.

Still today, justice for that crime has not been served, and the United States stands with the Lebanese people and the international community in supporting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and demanding that the murderers of Rafik Hariri be held accountable.

We also recognize the need to focus – not only on justice for the cowardly crimes of the past – but on Lebanon's future – on honoring the legacy that Hariri left behind.

On behalf of President Barack Obama, I can tell you that America's commitment to Lebanon remains as strong as ever. We continue to support in very practical ways Lebanon's full sovereignty and independence from outside influence, including through our support for the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the Baabda Declaration, and Lebanon's dissociation policy from foreign conflicts. And we continue to support Lebanon's efforts to strengthen its political and security institutions as a safeguard against violence, whether from outside or inside the country.

No challenge is more perilous to Lebanon's security than the rise of violent extremism throughout the region. We are committed to helping the Lebanese Armed Forces meet this challenge, because they alone have the legitimacy to defend their country's borders and protect their citizens. Make no mistake: there is no justification for the retention of arms by a militia or terrorist group that answers – not to the Lebanese people – but to foreign governments in Damascus and Tehran.

Between the spillover of extremist violence from Syria, the refugee crisis created by that conflict, and the economic difficulties that exacerbate every other test Lebanon is facing, it's fair to say that the status quo is not the Lebanon that Prime Minister Hariri envisioned. And while finally moving forward with the election of a Lebanese president will not fully resolve these challenges, it will be an essential step in the right direction. I urge Lebanon's leaders not to look outside of their country for a resolution to the presidential gridlock, but instead to find a solution from within. Unless and until a president is chosen, the erosion of Lebanon's political institutions will only become more pronounced.

As Lebanon seeks to fulfill its potential – as it seeks to continue Hariri's work toward a better future – the United States will stand right by its side. We will continue to work with political leaders, activists, scholars, and public servants throughout the country who share Hariri's vision for a sovereign, secure and prosperous Lebanon. And we will be guided by the clear understanding that the answers to the challenges facing Lebanon today lie – as they did ten years ago – not in violence and extremism, but in moderation and coexistence.

STL suspect Badreddine at Mughniyeh funeral

The Daily Star - Jan. 22, 2015
BEIRUT: Senior Hezbollah operative Mustafa Badreddine, whom the Special Tribunal for Lebanon accuses along with three others of being behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, received condolences alongside his family for the death of his nephew Jihad Imad Mughniyeh, attendees at the funeral told The Daily Star.
Mughniyeh died in Israel's strike on a Hezbollah convoy in Syria's Qunaitra over the weekend. Badreddine's sister Saada was married to Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was assassinated in Damascus in 2008.
Badreddine was seen receiving condolences with the family Monday, when Jihad Mughniyeh, 25, was laid to rest.
Since the STL indictment of July 29, 2011, named Badreddine and three other Hezbollah operatives – Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra – the men have disappeared, with reports saying they allegedly fled to Iran.
The Tribunal accused Badreddine of being the mastermind of the Valentine's Day attack, saying he was the main organizer of the operation.
After a failure to apprehend the suspects, the STL issued a decision on Feb. 1, 2012, to try them in absentia.

Mandate of UN-backed tribunal for Lebanon extended for three more years

2 January 2015 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has extended the mandate of the United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which was set up to try those responsible for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, for a period of three years from 1 March 2015.

Mr. Hariri and the others were killed on 14 February 2005 after a massive car bomb exploded as his motorcade passed through central Beirut.
Five accused have been indicted over the killing. The trial in absentia began in January 2014 and is currently ongoing.
The Tribunal, based near The Hague in the Netherlands, was established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1757 (2007) following the request of the Government of Lebanon for a tribunal of international character to try all those alleged responsible for the attack.
In a note issued to the media, Mr. Ban reaffirmed the commitment of the UN to support the work of the Tribunal to bring those responsible to justice and to ensure that impunity for such major crimes will not be tolerated.
The UN looks forward to the continued support and cooperation of the Government of Lebanon, the note added.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon welcomes the Lebanese contribution for 2014

Leidschendam, 6 November 2014 - The Special Tribunal for Lebanon can confirm that it has received Lebanon's share of the 2014 budget from the Lebanese government.

 

The full sum of € 29,347,003.50, 49 per cent of the Tribunal's budget, has been transferred to the Tribunal's bank account.

 

"I welcome Lebanon's contribution and I thank the Lebanese government for fulfilling its international obligation to fund the Tribunal ", STL Registrar Daryl Mundis said.

 

The Ayyash et al. trial opened before the Trial Chamber on 16 January 2014. To date, 36 witnesses have testified before the tribunal and a total of 461 exhibits have been admitted into evidence.