Marten Youssef Says U.S. Sanctions against Badreddine have Insignificant Impact on Trials
Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on Friday that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury against Mustafa Badreddine don't affect the trials.
“The judges will only take into consideration the evidence presented against him concerning” the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 21 others, Youssef said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.
On Thursday, the Defense counsel for Badreddine accused the U.S. of meddling in the court's ongoing judicial process after imposing sanctions on the accused.
“Rather, having been adopted a few weeks after a date was set for trial in March 2013, the imposition of sanctions appears to be an attempt to influence the tribunal, prejudicing the minds of the judiciary against Badreddine in advance of his impending trial and thus interfering with the proper administration of justice,” it added.
Youssef pointed out that the tribunal is “exerting efforts to ensure that co-counsel John Jones will be able to continue his defense case.”
Jones is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the UK and might be accused of breaching the sanctions if he continues to represent the suspect.
However, the U.S. issued Thursday night the license required for the attorney to continue to legally represent Badreddine, the STL said in a statement.
The Badreddine Defense team is represented by Mr. Antoine Korkmaz (lead counsel), Jones (co-counsel), Ms. Pauline Baranes (legal officer) and Ms. Sarah Codde (case manager).
Asked if the U.S. is funding the STL, Youssef noted that “it is one out of 26 other countries that support the tribunal financially. These countries have no chance in interfering in the judicial process.”
The Trial Chamber of the STL decided to try the four men accused in the 2005 attack in absentia.
The indictment accused four Hizbullah members, Salim Ayyash, Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi, and Assad Sabra, of being involved in the crime.
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