Head of the international tribunal's defense office Francois Roux expressed hope on Thursday that the Lebanese authorities and the new cabinet would fully cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, in particular his team.
“We will see if cooperation with the new government will be fruitful... So far I'm hearing positive remarks,” Roux said in an interview with An Nahar newspaper.
He pointed out that the STL had previously demanded a swift and comprehensive cooperation.
Asked if the defense team has any new requests, Roux said that the defense counsel of suspect Hassan Habib Merhi might have after his case was joined to Ayyash et al. cases.
In February, the trial Chamber of the STL approved approved a request from the Prosecution to join the case against Merhi to the case against Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Assad Sabra and Hussein Oneissi, whose in absentia trial had started on January 16.
“The Lebanese authorities granted the defense teams some answers but they weren't what they expected,” Roux told An Nahar.
He pointed out that Merhi's defense team “needs time” to prepare its case.
“Merhi's team requested two-month period to come with a perception of the period it needs to prepare its case,” Roux noted.
All of the five accused are indicted for their alleged role in the February 14, 2005 attack that killed former premier Rafik Hariri and 22 other people.
On February 1, 2012, the Trial Chamber issued a decision to try the four accused in absentia, in accordance with Article 22 of the Statute of the Tribunal.
The Pre-Trial Judge confirmed a sealed indictment submitted by the Prosecutor against Merhi on July 31, 2013. This was made public in October last year.
On December 20, 2013, the Trial Chamber issued a decision to try Merhi in absentia, which is permissible under Lebanese law.
And on December 30, 2013, the Prosecution filed an application to the Trial Chamber, requesting to join the two cases.
Merhi is charged with a number of crimes including "the crime of conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act."
He is alleged to have acted in a conspiracy with Hizbullah members Badreddine, Ayyash, Oneissi and Sabra in relation to the attack on February 14, 2005.
Merhi is alleged to have coordinated the preparation of the purported claim of responsibility as part of the preparations for and in furtherance of the attack.
The STL has described Merhi as “a supporter of Hizbullah” who was born on December 12, 1965 in Beirut. It said he has resided in Burj al-Barajneh.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has rejected the STL, describing it as an American-Israeli conspiracy against his party. He has vowed never to cooperate with the tribunal, saying that the suspects will never be found.
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