Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare on Monday responded to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s comments against the UN-backed court and reiterated that the investigation into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination is based on credible evidence.
“The investigation is carried out according to the highest standards of international justice and its results are based solely on facts and credible evidence,” Bellemare said after Nasrallah labeled the STL as a “politicized tool” eyeing his party and accused the staff of the prosecutor’s office of being corrupt.
“The staff of the OTP [Office of the Prosecutor] act independently and in good faith in their search for the truth,” Bellemare said according to a statement issued by his office.
“The staff of the OTP have been recruited on the basis of their professionalism, impartiality and expertise, and I have full confidence in their strong commitment to finding the truth,” he added.
The Prosecutor also said he welcomes “Nasrallah’s offer to provide the file that he stated he has on some elements of the investigation.”
Bellemare requested the video material that was shown on Saturday during Nasrallah’s televised statement, as well as “any other information that would assist the STL in its ongoing pursuit of justice.”
Last Thursday, the STL handed Attorney General Said Mirza arrest warrants for four members of the Iranian-and Syrian-backed Hezbollah in connection to the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri.
The whereabouts of the four remain unknown.
Nasrallah on Saturday ruled out the arrest of the four members indicted by the tribunal and accused certain STL investigators of being corrupt.
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