After the prime minister’s decision to transfer Lebanon’s share of funds to the UN-backed court investigating the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 22 others, Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Herman von Hebel took to the social networking site Twitter to answer people’s questions.
“This is a different avenue in addition to things like press releases, outreach efforts, visits to Lebanon, and so on,” von Hebel told NOW Lebanon.
“Twitter allows me to have a direct line of communication to the Lebanese people,” he added. “It was not in response to any particular event or incident.”
STL spokesperson Marten Youssef concurred, saying that von Hebel’s efforts to reach out to the public have nothing to do with developments in Lebanon, where there was an outcry over PM Najib Mikati’s funding of the court by Hezbollah and its allies, who have called the STL a US-Israeli plot against the Resistance.
“Not in any way, shape or form does it have to do with developments coming from Lebanon. The court wants to provide the people with the facts and let them be the judges,” he told NOW Lebanon.
Youssef also said that the STL has been thinking about using the popular social network for some time, adding: “This is not a one-time operation, but something that’ll be ongoing.”
Khawar Qureshi, head of chambers at McNair, an international law firm, refused to speculate as to why the STL is putting more effort into engaging with the public at this point in time, but said it is important for any institution concerned with justice to reach out to the people.
“It is vital for any institution concerned with the delivery of justice, particularly one created by external involvement, to be credible and accepted within the community,” he told NOW Lebanon. “Positive outreach by means of engaging with the wider public so as to address concerns and raise awareness could form a part of this process.”
“There is no perfect time for such engagement, although the sooner the better if acceptance is seen as an important objective,” Qureshi added.
However, according to a professor of International Law at the Lebanese American University, opening a channel of communication with the public decreases the chances of being negatively affected by political developments.
“It is not surprising that the court is using Twitter to reach the people,” Darina Saliba said. “It is to clarify things to the public so as not to be affected by political developments or reports attempting to discredit the tribunal.”
Meanwhile, during the Twitter session, people asked von Hebel questions about the “false witnesses” file. Before the collapse of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s cabinet in January 2011, Hezbollah-backed March 8 politicians had called on the government to task the Lebanese Justice Council with investigating the issue of witnesses giving unreliable testimony to the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC), which probed the murder.
“For the STL, there are no false witnesses since there have been no witnesses testifying in the courtroom,” von Hebel wrote. “Any issues relating to individuals allegedly providing false information to the UNIIIC is a matter for Lebanon and the UN.”
Von Hebel also defended the STL over the issue of the four generals detained in Lebanon from 2005 to 2009 for their alleged involvement in the Hariri killing.
“Directly after transfer of jurisdiction of the four generals to STL, the pre-trial judge ordered their release.”
Other people—most of whom were convinced that the suspects indicted in the Hariri murder case will never be found—asked questions about what the STL’s next move would be if that were the case.
“First, Lebanon must continue to search for the accused,” von Hebel stressed, referring to the four Hezbollah members indicted in the case.
“If trials have to start without accused, justice will be ensured. Arrest warrants will remain in place during and after trial,” the start of which is reasonable to expect in 2012, according to the STL official.
“We have overwhelming support from the international community and from Lebanese people,” Youssef said, “some of whom have questions, which is completely normal and in fact healthy.”
“It’s too early to make judgments; we haven’t even started the trial.”
In response to those questioning the court’s credibility, Youssef quoted former STL President Judge Antonio Cassese, who died in October, in a memo he sent to the court’s staff when the indictment was unsealed.
“The legacy of our institution will not just be its verdicts, it will be the way we got there and the example of fair justice we will set for the Lebanese people and the international community as a whole.”
“Twitter allows me to have a direct line of communication to the Lebanese people,” he added. “It was not in response to any particular event or incident.”
STL spokesperson Marten Youssef concurred, saying that von Hebel’s efforts to reach out to the public have nothing to do with developments in Lebanon, where there was an outcry over PM Najib Mikati’s funding of the court by Hezbollah and its allies, who have called the STL a US-Israeli plot against the Resistance.
“Not in any way, shape or form does it have to do with developments coming from Lebanon. The court wants to provide the people with the facts and let them be the judges,” he told NOW Lebanon.
Youssef also said that the STL has been thinking about using the popular social network for some time, adding: “This is not a one-time operation, but something that’ll be ongoing.”
Khawar Qureshi, head of chambers at McNair, an international law firm, refused to speculate as to why the STL is putting more effort into engaging with the public at this point in time, but said it is important for any institution concerned with justice to reach out to the people.
“It is vital for any institution concerned with the delivery of justice, particularly one created by external involvement, to be credible and accepted within the community,” he told NOW Lebanon. “Positive outreach by means of engaging with the wider public so as to address concerns and raise awareness could form a part of this process.”
“There is no perfect time for such engagement, although the sooner the better if acceptance is seen as an important objective,” Qureshi added.
However, according to a professor of International Law at the Lebanese American University, opening a channel of communication with the public decreases the chances of being negatively affected by political developments.
“It is not surprising that the court is using Twitter to reach the people,” Darina Saliba said. “It is to clarify things to the public so as not to be affected by political developments or reports attempting to discredit the tribunal.”
Meanwhile, during the Twitter session, people asked von Hebel questions about the “false witnesses” file. Before the collapse of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s cabinet in January 2011, Hezbollah-backed March 8 politicians had called on the government to task the Lebanese Justice Council with investigating the issue of witnesses giving unreliable testimony to the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC), which probed the murder.
“For the STL, there are no false witnesses since there have been no witnesses testifying in the courtroom,” von Hebel wrote. “Any issues relating to individuals allegedly providing false information to the UNIIIC is a matter for Lebanon and the UN.”
Von Hebel also defended the STL over the issue of the four generals detained in Lebanon from 2005 to 2009 for their alleged involvement in the Hariri killing.
“Directly after transfer of jurisdiction of the four generals to STL, the pre-trial judge ordered their release.”
Other people—most of whom were convinced that the suspects indicted in the Hariri murder case will never be found—asked questions about what the STL’s next move would be if that were the case.
“First, Lebanon must continue to search for the accused,” von Hebel stressed, referring to the four Hezbollah members indicted in the case.
“If trials have to start without accused, justice will be ensured. Arrest warrants will remain in place during and after trial,” the start of which is reasonable to expect in 2012, according to the STL official.
“We have overwhelming support from the international community and from Lebanese people,” Youssef said, “some of whom have questions, which is completely normal and in fact healthy.”
“It’s too early to make judgments; we haven’t even started the trial.”
In response to those questioning the court’s credibility, Youssef quoted former STL President Judge Antonio Cassese, who died in October, in a memo he sent to the court’s staff when the indictment was unsealed.
“The legacy of our institution will not just be its verdicts, it will be the way we got there and the example of fair justice we will set for the Lebanese people and the international community as a whole.”
No comments:
Post a Comment