Lebanon's opposition leader Saad Hariri defends the STL that indicted four Hezbollah members in the 2005 murder of his father, ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. (Dalati & Nohra)
Lebanon's opposition leader Saad Hariri on Tuesday defended a UN-backed court that indicted Hezbollah members in the 2005 murder of his father against "misleading accusations" by the Shia group.
"After the indictment was issued, I decided it was time for me to speak, to rectify... [Hezbollah chief] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's misleading accusations that the tribunal is Israeli, that its indictment was formed even before the investigation," Hariri said in an interview with local television from Paris via video link.
"Even if Nasrallah holds 300 press conferences, that will not alter the indictment in any way," added the former premier in his first public statement since March.
"There are people accused [of the assassination] who must now be represented before court."
“[The new cabinet] might or might not cooperate with the international community, but in the end, Lebanon will pay the price,” Hariri also said.
He added that if he was still Lebanon’s premier, his cabinet would have made efforts to search for the four suspects indicted by the tribunal and turned them over.
The former prime minister said that he has “no problem” with resuming national dialogue. However, he vowed that he will not make concessions regarding the STL and declined to take part in dialogue if it seeks to reach a compromise concerning the tribunal.
He blasted PM Najib Mikati, saying the latter is “serving as a tool” for Nasrallah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Asked about Hezbollah’s key Christian ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, Hariri said: “I would have wished that Aoun took part in the first ranks of March 14, [instead of] taking part in the secondary ranks” of the Shia group.
He also said that he has willingly decided to stay abroad, in reference to reports that his life is under threat in Lebanon.
“I will come back to Lebanon when I see that it’s necessary, and hopefully it will not take too long.”
Hariri addressed the protests in Syria, saying the pro-democracy demonstrators “are being oppressed.”
“There are crimes being committed in Syria,” he said, adding, “The Syrian people are expressing their views. You cannot accuse them of sabotaging the country.”
Over 1300 civilians have been killed in the Syrian government’s crackdown of protests that began in mid-March, rights groups have said.
The Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has indicted four members of Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father, ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.
Among those indicted by the tribunal for the February 14, 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others in Beirut is Mustafa Badreddine, brother-in-law of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, assassinated three years ago in Damascus.
Nasrallah has said he would never hand over the four, adding the tribunal was heading for a trial in absentia.
The Hezbollah chief has repeatedly dismissed the tribunal as a US-Israeli conspiracy against his armed party.
Saad Hariri's Western-backed unity government collapsed in January when Hezbollah and its allies pulled their ministers from government, capping a long-running feud over the tribunal.
The militant movement and its allies control the majority of seats in Lebanon's new government headed by Najib MIkati.
"After the indictment was issued, I decided it was time for me to speak, to rectify... [Hezbollah chief] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's misleading accusations that the tribunal is Israeli, that its indictment was formed even before the investigation," Hariri said in an interview with local television from Paris via video link.
"Even if Nasrallah holds 300 press conferences, that will not alter the indictment in any way," added the former premier in his first public statement since March.
"There are people accused [of the assassination] who must now be represented before court."
“[The new cabinet] might or might not cooperate with the international community, but in the end, Lebanon will pay the price,” Hariri also said.
He added that if he was still Lebanon’s premier, his cabinet would have made efforts to search for the four suspects indicted by the tribunal and turned them over.
The former prime minister said that he has “no problem” with resuming national dialogue. However, he vowed that he will not make concessions regarding the STL and declined to take part in dialogue if it seeks to reach a compromise concerning the tribunal.
He blasted PM Najib Mikati, saying the latter is “serving as a tool” for Nasrallah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Asked about Hezbollah’s key Christian ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, Hariri said: “I would have wished that Aoun took part in the first ranks of March 14, [instead of] taking part in the secondary ranks” of the Shia group.
He also said that he has willingly decided to stay abroad, in reference to reports that his life is under threat in Lebanon.
“I will come back to Lebanon when I see that it’s necessary, and hopefully it will not take too long.”
Hariri addressed the protests in Syria, saying the pro-democracy demonstrators “are being oppressed.”
“There are crimes being committed in Syria,” he said, adding, “The Syrian people are expressing their views. You cannot accuse them of sabotaging the country.”
Over 1300 civilians have been killed in the Syrian government’s crackdown of protests that began in mid-March, rights groups have said.
The Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has indicted four members of Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father, ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.
Among those indicted by the tribunal for the February 14, 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others in Beirut is Mustafa Badreddine, brother-in-law of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, assassinated three years ago in Damascus.
Nasrallah has said he would never hand over the four, adding the tribunal was heading for a trial in absentia.
The Hezbollah chief has repeatedly dismissed the tribunal as a US-Israeli conspiracy against his armed party.
Saad Hariri's Western-backed unity government collapsed in January when Hezbollah and its allies pulled their ministers from government, capping a long-running feud over the tribunal.
The militant movement and its allies control the majority of seats in Lebanon's new government headed by Najib MIkati.
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