Daily Star - State prosecutor submitsprogress report to STL, October 20, 2011

BEIRUT: State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza handed over Wednesday a report on the efforts made to arrest the four indicted individuals in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.Mirza told The Daily Star that the third report was similar to the other two that preceded it, in that it stated security personnel have failed to locate the four accused.“The security forces are still looking for them,” he added.The report was filed as the STL prepares for trial in absentia procedures.A source close to the STL said the trial in absentia doesn’t relieve Lebanese authorities of their duty to cooperate with the court and seeking to apprehend the four indicted.“There is no doubt that the trial will not await the arrest of those indicted to stand before the court, which will issue its verdicts in light of the information presented in the indictment,” he source said.The indictment has so far accused four members of Hezbollah of involvement in the assassination.Hezbollah has vowed to protect the accused and said it would refuse to cooperate with the Netherlands-based tribunal.