Roux Holds Closed-Door Talks in Beirut

Head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s defense office Francois Roux arrived in Beirut overnight Monday and swiftly held closed-door meetings with officials.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported Tuesday that Roux will seek to “urge the Lebanese to take part in the tribunal’s work to guarantee the rights of the victims of the attacks, the accused and those who were harmed.”

According to the daily, his meetings will remain confidential and in coordination with head of the Human Rights Committee at the Bar Association in Beirut Lawyer Elizabeth Sioufi.

Media reports said on Monday that President of the STL Judge Sir David Baragwanath will arrive in Lebanon on April 1.

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that Baragwanath will ink a “memorandum of understanding” with head of the Bar Association in Beirut and Tripoli.

The daily reported that Baragwanath is seeking to allow the families of the victims of the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, who are included in the first indictment issued by the STL and the expected one, to appoint the attorneys that they want during the proceedings of the trial.

The tribunal, set up by the U.N. Security Council at the request of a past Lebanese government to try those responsible for the assassination of Hariri in 2005, announced in February that it will put four Hizbullah members on trial even though they have not yet been detained.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the four -- Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra -- but they remain at large.