The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) is a local non-profit, non-partisan Lebanese human rights organization in Beirut that was established by the Franco-Lebanese Movement SOLIDA (Support for Lebanese Detained Arbitrarily) in 2006. SOLIDA has been active since 1996 in the struggle against arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and the impunity of those perpetrating gross human violations.

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October 7, 2011

Now Lebanon - Ogassapian: Hezbollah placed Mikati in ‘embarrassing’ situation, October 7, 2011

Future bloc MP Jean Ogassapian said in remarks published on Friday that Hezbollah has placed Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a “very embarrassing situation.”
The MP told Al-Jumhuriya newspaper that Mikati “wants to implement [Lebanon’s] commitments” toward the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), while Hezbollah is telling the premier that he “is neither allowed to [let the cabinet] finance the STL nor quit.”
“Hezbollah alone can make the decision to overthrow the cabinet or keep it running… Mikati [cannot] make the decision to resign [from his post].”
The Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently dominate Lebanon’s cabinet – have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining to the funding of the tribunal, while Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the STL.
Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denied the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court.
Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual funding.
Ogassapian also slammed Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and said that the latter is “assigned to obstruct the STL by [addressing] its constitutionality.”
He added that Aoun’s statements on the STL “will lead to more tension” and will have “very dangerous repercussions on the cabinet’s coherence.”
Aoun said on Wednesday that “the decision to establish the tribunal came from one side and was imposed on Lebanon under Chapter VII [of the UN Charter],” in a reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1757 – which called for the creation of the STL.

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