Visiting STL Registrar Meets Miqati

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Registrar Herman von Hebel met with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail on Monday as part of scheduled talks with other Lebanese officials this week.

The STL said that von Hebel will meet in addition to Miqati and Lebanese officials, various representatives of the diplomatic community in Lebanon and the Tribunal's staff in Beirut.

Von Hebel, who arrived in Beirut on Sunday night, is expected to inform the Lebanese officials that trials in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case will start on March 25, An Nahar daily said.

It added that the Registrar will also discuss with the officials the latest Lebanese media reports claiming to reveal the identities of individuals who may be called to testify before the STL as witnesses.

The court said that von Hebel's responsibilities include oversight of the victim participation unit, witness protection and detention facilities.

Last week, the court warned that “persons who disclose confidential information from the STL may be in direct contravention of judicial orders and be subject to judicial proceedings for contempt.”

“Publicly identifying individuals as potential STL witnesses may endanger these individuals whether or not they are linked to the Tribunal,” it said in a statement.

A court document said in November that the chief prosecutor, Norman Farrell, plans to call 557 witnesses to testify in the trial over the 2005 bombing that killed Hariri.

Four Hizbullah members are to go on trial in absentia starting March 25 for the massive car bomb attack on the Beirut seafront.