The Daily Star - STL to allow 58 victims to participate in Hariri assassination trial, May 9 2012

BEIRUT: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon will allow 58 victims to participate in the court case against four Hezbollah suspects accused of involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination.

"The pre-trial judge has determined that 58 of 73 victims of the February 14, 2005 attack who applied to do so can now take part in the proceedings," the Special Tribunal for Lebanon said in a statement Wednesday.

The tribunal’s registrar will now designate a legal representative for victims and as many co-counsels as the registrar feels appropriate to assist the legal representative.

“The names and identities of the victims will continue to remain confidential unless and until there is a further court order to the contrary,” the statement said.

The international court also urged other victims of the February 14, 2005 attack, which killed Hariri and 22 others, to apply to participate in the proceedings through the tribunal's Victim Participation Unit.

Each application is reviewed by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen.

The U.N.-backed tribunal indicted four members of the resistance party last year for involvement in the assassination. They are Mustafa Badreddine, Salim al-Ayyash, Hasan Aineysseh and Asad Sabra.

Following a failed attempted by Lebanon to apprehend the suspects, the court has decided to try the men in absentia.

Hezbollah has denied the allegations against its members, describing the four as honorable men of the party. Hezbollah also described the court as a U.S.-Israeli tool aimed at sowing strife in Lebanon.

Earlier this year, Fransen rejected the prosecution's request to amend the indictment and add a count of “criminal association.” The content of the proposed amendment remains confidential.

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