Special Tribunal for
Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen has determined that 58 of the 73 victims
of the February 14, 2005 attack who applied to do so can now participate in the
Ayyash et al. proceedings.
“Judge Daniel Fransen has
reviewed the 73 victim applications he has received, 15 of which were deemed to
be incomplete. [Fransen] has said that he would require additional information
before granting the incomplete applications,” a statement published on the
STL’s website said.
“Having thoroughly reviewed
the applications of the 58 successful applicants, Judge Fransen has found no
reason to divide the victims into different groups. In his decision, Judge
Fransen said that he is required to ensure that the proceedings are not unduly
delayed and to take any measures necessary to prepare the case for a fair and
expeditious trial,” the statement added.
The statement also said
that, according to the tribunal's Rules, “it is now up to the Registrar to
designate a legal representative to represent the victims during trial, and as
many co-counsel as the Registrar feels is appropriate to assist the legal
representative.”
“Although Judge Fransen's
decision is public, the names and identities of the victims will continue to
remain confidential unless and until there is a further court order to the
contrary,” it added.
The statement added that
victims of the February 14, 2005 attack who have not yet applied to participate
in the proceedings can still apply through the STL’s Victim Participation Unit.
All future applications will also be subject to review by the pre-trial judge.
The STL is probing the 2005
assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. Four Hezbollah members have been
indicted by the UN-backed tribunal, however, the Shia group strongly denied the
charges and refused to cooperate with the court.
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