New STL Arrest Warrants to Include MPs, Ministers
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing into the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri will issue 14 arrest warrants that will include Lebanese officials, the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa reported on Saturday.
Diplomatic sources told the daily that the warrants are expected to include Lebanese officials and military personnel and other people from different nationalities.
“The new circulated names include a current MP (in the parliament) and former Ministers and MPs,” they said.
Sources involved in the Lebanese situation stressed that “the satisfaction that followed the appointments and the release of the seven Estonians might not last long with the near release of the new arrest warrants.”
The diplomatic circles said that the arrest warrants are expected to be issued before the end of July.
The STL submitted a confidential indictment and arrest warrants for four suspects in June. The names were not released but were leaked to the media and later confirmed by the Lebanese government.
Mustafa Badreddin, Salim Ayyash, Assad Sabra and Hussein Anaissi are all members of Hizbullah.
However, their whereabouts are unknown.
Lebanon now has 30 business days to find and arrest the four named in the warrants.
If no arrests are made, the court can publicize their names and call on the accused to surrender within a month, after which the defense chief can himself appoint lawyers from his office's list to represent defendants in absentia.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/10505 |