iloubnan- STL president: tribunal's purpose is to bring killers of Lebanese citizens to justice, November 28, 2011

The STL press office published on Monday the following statement made by the President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Judge Sir David Baragwanath. 

"The main purpose of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is to bring the killers of Lebanese citizens to justice. This week's visit to Beirut has given me great confidence that our mandate of challenging impunity will be fulfilled. 

The Vice-President, Judge Riachi, our Chef de Cabinet, Guido Acquaviva and I appreciated our gracious reception by the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor-General. We also met leaders of the universities as well as diplomatic representatives and the heads of the legal profession. 

I was particularly heartened by the determination of the representatives of the Lebanese people to work for the rule of law and long-term stability. The Tribunal, comprising professional judges selected internationally and including senior members of the Lebanese judiciary, is a transitional institution. We are determined to conclude our job as swiftly as fairness allows. 

I am convinced that the strength of the legal and academic communities of Lebanon will allow the administration of justice in the country to attain new heights. The support we are receiving will allow the STL to contribute to securing the stability that everybody, the killers aside, so earnestly desires, which will open new opportunities for Lebanon."