French Official Urges Lebanon to Fully Back STL ‘No Matter What’

A French official has said that he would ask Lebanese Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to exert all efforts to cooperate with the international tribunal “no matter what the price might be.”

Francois Zimeray, who is France’s Ambassador for Human Rights, said in remarks published in the Saudi al-Watan daily on Sunday that he would ask Qortbawi “about the future intentions on the international court and how Lebanon would cooperate with it.”

“I will encourage him to go till the end on this path no matter what the price might be,” he said.

Zimeray, who is on a mission to Jordan and Lebanon, told the newspaper that international justice is the major progress made since the announcement of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.

“The crimes that took place in Lebanon did not only target the personalities but they were targeted against democracy,” he said. “That’s why we hold onto international justice, whose one aspect is the tribunal.”

France supports the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and “encourages its work and path,” Zimeray told al-Watan.

“France’s message is clear. It holds onto the concept of impunity,” he added.