BEIRUT: Close to 60 people either wounded or harmed in the 2005
bomb attack that killed former statesman Rafik Hariri have applied to
participate in the trials of those accused of the crime, the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon said Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the court said it was pleased “with the
significant number of victims who have applied” to take part in forthcoming
trials.
“We believe it shows that there are many victims who wish to
have their voices heard in the proceedings before this tribunal,” spokesperson
Marten Youssef told The Daily Star.
The United Nations-backed STL, established in 2009 to find and
try the assassins of Hariri, is unique among international tribunals in that it
includes scope within its mandate for victims of the attack to join court
proceedings.
A victim is defined as anyone who sustained physical, material
or psychological harm from the bomb blast that killed Hariri and 22 others in
downtown Beirut Feb. 14, 2005. In his June indictment accusing four Hezbollah
members of the crime, STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellmare submitted a redacted list
of 231 individuals wounded in the attack.
It is unclear how long it will take the court to process victim
applications. “The numbers are not so large as to require significant time for
reviewing the applications, and once victims are accepted to participate in the
proceedings they can be grouped to share legal representatives in order to
ensure efficient proceedings,” he said.
Although the court has not set a definitive timeframe for the
commencement of trials, it is thought they could begin as soon as mid-2012.
In the indictment, Bellemare suggested that some witnesses had
been subjected to threats and intimidation after meeting with investigators. A
court statement Tuesday said victims had met with the STL’s Victim
Participation unit and, given that some victims are likely to be called for
cross examination as witnesses, Youssef was keen to point out that the
protection of applicants was a priority.
“The tribunal takes issues surrounding the safety of victims
very seriously. To this end the [court] can authorize measures to protect the
identity of a victim during the judicial process,” he said.
“It is very difficult to stop the intimidating behavior of those
who may be opposed to victims participating in the judicial process, however,
those victims who have applied to participate, their information is treated and
handled confidentially,” Youssef added.
The STL’s Victim Participation unit is not responsible for
providing the victims of Hariri’s assassination with compensation for their
injuries or distress, as this will be handled in Lebanese courts after any
conviction.
The court’s rules state that victims, even if they have declined
to participate in the trials, are still entitled to request a copy of any
conviction to help with claims.
The STL will
next week hold a hearing discussing the viability of pressing ahead with in
absentia trials for the four suspects. The men, all Hezbollah members, have so
far proved elusive to authorities in spite of being the subject of a nationwide
manhunt and international arrest warrants.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-02/152869-60-victims-to-participate-in-trials-against-stl-accused.ashx#axzz1cYU7Z4LC
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