The Special Tribunal for Lebanon summoned two Lebanese journalists and two media organizations to appear before the court on charges of contempt and obstruction of justice.
Al-Jadeed’s Karma Mohamed Tahsin al-Khayat and the station's parent company New TV S.A.L. along with Al-Akhbar editor-in-chief Ibrahim Mohamed al-Amin and the newspaper's parent company Akhbar Beirut S.A.L were summoned to appear before the STL on counts of contempt and obstruction of justice, the STL said in a statement issued on Thursday.
New TV S.A.L. and Khayat are charged with “knowingly and willfully interfering with the administration of justice by broadcasting and/or publishing information on purported confidential witnesses and failing to remove from Al-Jadeed TV's website and Al-Jadeed TV's YouTube channel information on purported confidential witnesses.”
Meanwhile, the tribunal has charged Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. and Amin with “knowingly and willfully interfering with the administration of justice by publishing information on purported confidential witnesses in the Ayyash et al. case.”
Formally established on March 1, 2009, the STL has repeatedly been the subject of news reports based on alleged leaks concerning the investigation of the 2005 murder of former Premier Rafiq Hariri.
On January 15, 2013, Al-Akhbar newspaper published a list of 17 men it says are witnesses expected to testify before the tribunal.
The STL said after the incident that “publicly identifying individuals as potential STL witnesses may endanger these individuals,” which is why the Tribunal “will not confirm whether the content of the news reports is accurate or not.”
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