Naharnet

Baragwanath Holds Talks with Suleiman, Miqati

President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judge Sir David Baragwanath held talks on Monday with President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati separately as he is expected to meet with several other senior Lebanese officials.

The National News Agency reported that Suleiman discussed with Baragwanath at the Baabda Palace the progress of the STL’s work and the previous indictments it had issued.

Baragwanath left the Grand Serail without making any statement after a 30-minute meeting with Miqati.

Baragwanath arrived in Lebanon on Sunday night from Frankfurt.

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported in March that the STL president will seek to ink a “memorandum of understanding” with the heads of the Bar Associations in Beirut and Tripoli.

He wants 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.

Baragwanath was elected STL President after Judge Antonio Cassese stepped down in October 2011 on health grounds. Cassese later passed away.

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 members -- Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra.


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