Harb: Lawsuit Has Been Filed against Syrian Officers Linked to Tueni's Assassination
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Opposition MP Butros Harb revealed on Tuesday that the case of the assassination of MP Gebran Tueni may be referred to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon should the Lebanese judiciary fail to address the matter.
He added: “A lawsuit has been filed against Syrian officers linked to the lawmaker's assassination.”
He made the announcement during a press conference in light of a recent Al-Arabiya television report that aired documents demonstrating the alleged involvement of Syrian officers and Hizbullah intelligence in the December 12, 2005, assassination of journalist, MP, and chairman of the board of directors of An Nahar newspaper Gebran Tueni.
As the attorney tackling the case, Harb said during the press conference: “We want to continue the investigation in the matter and stress that the case of Tueni and the rest of the martyrs will remain alive.”
“We want to send a clear message to the criminals that we reject political assassinations and anyone who tries to assassinate Lebanon will be confronted,” declared the MP.
“Despite the political pressure being exerted, we are determined to place our faith in the Lebanese judiciary to tackle Tueni's murder,” he added.
“We will turn to the STL and request that this case be added to the others it is looking into,” revealed Harb.
“Should the international tribunal agree to our request, then we will ask the Lebanese judiciary to cease its investigations in the case and turn it over to the STL,” he said.
“The STL's jurisdiction and means go beyond the agreements signed between Lebanon and Syria, and at that point, Syria cannot refuse a request to interrogate one of its officers,” he stated.
Furthermore, he stressed: “We did not turn to the Lebanese government to address this case because we are aware of its poor history in dealing with such matters.”
The opposition MP said that the government's past practices in similar situations have portrayed it as a partner in obstructing justice.
Addressing Hizbullah and its alleged involvement in Tueni's assassination, Harb said: “We hope the party would act in a manner that would erase all suspicions against it.”
“We hope our suspicions over this document do not become realized and so far no suspect in Tueni's assassination has faced the judiciary,” he remarked.
“We will strive to uncover all the crimes against the Lebanese people through the judiciary. Should we fail then we will leave justice to God,” he stressed.
On Saturday, Al-Arabiya obtained an alleged Syrian document saying: “With the help of members of the intelligence department of Lebanon's Hizbullah, Mission 213, which was assigned to them on December 10, has been successfully accomplished with excellent results.”
The document, dated December 12, 2005, was sent by head of the operations department in the Syrian intelligence, Hasan Abdul Rahman, to then chief of national security department Assef Shawkat, according to Al-Arabiya.
“In concurrence with Assef Shawkat's letter on accomplishing the mission and on the same day the letter was sent to the Syrian presidential palace, a booby-trapped car was awaiting Lebanese lawmaker Gebran Tueni to end his life while on his way to work, in an assassination operation described as mysterious back then,” Al-Arabiya added.
Hizbullah on Monday denied links to Tueni's assassination, with Minister Mohammed Fneish saying: “Al-Arabiya's document on Hizbullah is fake and not everything published is a real document and you can tell that from the content.”
The party later issued a statement denying the report and accusing the March 14 camp of taking advantage of the “baseless accusations fabricated by the Saudi network Al-Arabiya and attributed to Syrian opposition activists, including those related to the assassination of MP Gebran Tueni.”
09 October 2012, 08:54
174
MP Nayla Tueni obviously found out how filthy M14 is, so she decided to leave politics altogether and pursue positive careers.
09 October 2012, 10:41
314
What a stupid comment. u talk and comment like you know her personally. her Husband, who was a GREAT politician for lebanon, got murdered because of Politics, not because of M14, m14 wasnt even formed by then. Please keep you stupidity locked up inside u , its better better for the general public.
09 October 2012, 11:31
115
@jadski, You talk from hatred and ignorance. Mr. Gebran Tueni was Nayla's father not husband. Mr. Gebran Tueni was a great politician indeed. He was a great individual and was brave and honest. Pierre Gemayel was also a great political figure. But what is left in M14?
Look at M14 now. They stole, they lied, they are paid to insinuate hatred and divide the people.
09 October 2012, 11:42
123
M14 supporters reflect the level of M14 politicians. They curse, they are very good at name calling and have absolutely nothing to offer the country. What a shame to call them Lebanese!!!
09 October 2012, 11:52
08
FT out of interest, did you disagree with any of Gebran Tueni's politcal stances or views, particularly his fierce and vocal anti-syrian positions?
09 October 2012, 12:29
17
The ouwet made too many mistakes towards the end of the war just as Aoun did, but who was 'right' at the end of the war. By 'right' I mean that Aoun remained anti-syrian until the end when he ran away whilst Geagea had joined the Syrians in belting him at Baabda. Taef was not good either. Then Aoun came back from his stay in Paris and now we see him on the same team as the SSNP! In an alliance with Hizbullah, and its weapons! Kissing Bashar al Assad on the cheek, the man who without doubt has been the main man behind more assassinations in Lebanon than I can count on both my hands.
09 October 2012, 14:04
13
@slash ya khayyeh you don't understand how much ana kan ouwetti back in the days and it was the hardest thing to accept that in 1989 and 1990 i had no one left to follow and no one left to trust. Yes, the Lebanese Forces sided with the Syrians at the end to root out Aoun, the Ouwet were shelling from my jedou's village, El Louazie Baabda to Kahale, but Im not saying Aoun was better because if he was smart he should have sucked up to the ouwet to have any chance of beating the real enemy, the soureyeen. What is more important is that today Aoun is on the wrong side, he sold out the Christians for a chance of removing his infamous title General and to replace it with President, which will never happen for Aoun or Geagea.
09 October 2012, 14:54
03
@captain
M14 is as it's now, because the syrian killed their ellite leaders and on top of them without any contest Gebran Tueni.
09 October 2012, 14:55
13
@FT
I see Nayla Tueni in the parliamant more than I see the General.
09 October 2012, 14:55
13
The SSNP are the worst of the worst. They are thugs and show no respect towards the Lebanese state or its independence. To call oneself a Lebanese and an SSNP is a vast contradiction. I don’t know how people can vote for them? Welcome to Lebanon habibi. Aoun came back after 15 years of Syrian Hegemony obviously the pro-syrian forces would still be intact after years upon years of support and elections ALWAYS in their favour. What troubles me most is the Aounists. The LF and Aoun were so close, the protests ma ba3dna and our ideals were so intact and aligned and allied back in the lates 90s and early 2000s. How could he ally himself with them, with the SSNP and Amal. Even if he hated Geagea and Hariri that much, he shouldn’t have done that. How could Aoun ‘forget’ the atrocities’. How could he forget the men rotting in the filthy prisons. Because he didn’t forget Geagea’s idiocy. Did he forget Hafez Assad? Because he remembers Harb Ilgha2 like it was last Tuesday.
09 October 2012, 09:44
22
In the meantime captain lehietalla we will pursue to HELL where you belong!
09 October 2012, 11:30
09
Just for the record, Gebran Tueini was the FATHER of Nayla. He was a remarkable personality, one of the very few who has been able to make lebanese feel united. Obviously he was regarded as a big threat to those that thrived on support from the syrian regime, so he was taken out.
09 October 2012, 11:30
36
The assasin was only performing his jihadist duty. Same goes for the 4 fallen saints.
09 October 2012, 11:48
101
He tries very bard to tarnish the other camp so he look's good. He is desperate to become president.
09 October 2012, 13:17
51
If M14 had Pierre Gemayel, the grandfather, or Pierre Gemayel, the son, or Bachir Gemayel or Kamal Jumblat, then it would count for something. But unfortunately, all these good men are gone.
09 October 2012, 13:15
61
@canadian_paul, Read the article. It says "ALLEGED Syrian document saying". Just like the STL is a joke. One day they blame Hizbullah and the other day Syria and we know who had access to the "proof" and who could tamper with the "proof".
Soon the truth will be out that it was a neighboring country that did all this blessed by a higher power.
09 October 2012, 13:19
32
Funny how this guy whom is supposed to be a "lawyer" reject the Lebanese legal system for a foreign composed legal system. Harb is sure on whom committed assassinations, then why not present evidence? Harb is hoax lawyer and Lebanon should be happy he is not in high position due to he will not be trustworthy decision maker.
09 October 2012, 13:45
08
For too long the Syrian Regime, past and present alongside the scum of the Mukhabarat gotten away with murder and crime in Lebanon. For too long have they stepped on us and pretended they 'own us'. For too long have I watched Lebanon stumble and fall at their hands, without them ever being caught for their crimes. I see the smiles in Bashar al Assad and Hafez al Assad and Buthaina Shaabans faces not to mention so many more, and I can only think about the tears and destruction they have caused in my country. GEBRAN PIERRE RAFIK RENEE SAMIR DANY GEORGE RIAD KAMAL BACHIR... we will not forget your souls.
09 October 2012, 15:01
03
@FT I honestly don't doubt what you said khayeh, whether things are worse or better after Assad only time will tell. Syrian leadership is syrian leadership after all, just like the Americans, the Israelis and the Iranians and the Saudis, no one wants what is good and right for Lebanon, but everyone wants a little piece for themselves. Sadly this is the story of the country that you, FT, myself, and every single other commentor on this site loves so dearly. One day when we forget the past we will build the future Lebanon truly deserves.
09 October 2012, 14:49
02
@ FT. Its not who will come after the assads that worry the Lebanese at the moment, its how the Lebanese will behave towards the syrians 0nce this is all done.Will they act as equals or will they stay subservient and ander syrians shoes.
09 October 2012, 15:25
01
Isn't Harb the American clown in town?
He's speaking a lot blablabla but has no single proof.
Congratulations to M14 for such a nutcase.
09 October 2012, 15:25
62
LOL. M14 supporters get their kicks by namecalling commentators and thumbing down comments that touches M14. After all, they are March Farteen and mFATFATeen.
On a second note, I personally would like the Lebanese Army to have the weapons and not anyone else. I don't support M8. I don't support nor respect M14. It is funny how when one makes a comment at M14, they directly assume he/she is a supporter of M8.
Hopefully the majority of the Lebanese wake up from this bickering and being pawned around by different countries.
09 October 2012, 23:02
11
yes yes, whenever someone 'byiftass' in Lebanon ; it's either Syria or Hezb
10 October 2012, 08:39
00
We need a Lebanese revolution, where the Lebanese meet on the base of love for each and their country, and get this system down once and for all.
