August 23, 2010 - Now Lebanon - Judge to issue decision on Sayyed’s request in September, says Issawi

In an interview with As-Safir newspaper published on Monday, Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) spokesperson Fatima al-Issawi said that Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen will abide by the date he had set to issue a decision regarding former head of General Security Brigadier General Jamil as-Sayyed’s request to access certain court files.

“Judge Fransen will issue his decision in the first half of September,” Issawi said.

In April 2009, the STL ordered the release due to lack of evidence of four generals who had been detained since 2005 on suspicion of involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

In July 2010, the tribunal heard a request by Sayyed, one of the four detainees, for documents related to his imprisonment. Sayyed claims he is the victim of false witnesses.

Issawi also said that the STL is only authorized to prosecute the perpetrators behind the Rafik Hariri murder.

Issawi’s statement was made when asked about the cabinet’s appointment of Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar last week to follow up on the issue of witnesses who gave false testimonies to the tribunal.

“It is not for the STL to make comments over [such] decisions taken by the Lebanese government,” she said.

“If conditions were available, the tribunal’s authorization will also include [the probe] of attacks that took place in Lebanon between October 1, 2004 and December 12, 2005,” she added.