Appeals Panel Says STL Has Jurisdiction over al-Jadeed Case

A Special Tribunal for Lebanon appeals panel on Thursday reversed a decision by the Contempt Judge, who had ruled that the court does not have jurisdiction to sue al-Jadeed television on charges of contempt.

“The Appeals Panel of three judges appointed to consider an appeal relating to the STL’s jurisdiction in (the case against New TV S.A.L) has decided by majority that the STL does have jurisdiction to hear cases of obstruction of justice against legal persons (corporate entities),” the STL said in a statement.

“This means that the case against New TV S.A.L will proceed at the same time as the case against Ms. Karma al-Khayat,” the TV network's Deputy News and Political Program Manager, the court explained.

It said the decision follows an appeal by the Amicus Curiae prosecutor against the Contempt Judge’s decision of July, 24 2014 that ruled that the tribunal “does not have jurisdiction under Rule 60 bis to hear cases of obstruction of justice against legal persons.”

STL Contempt Judge Nicola Lettieri had announced that “any ambiguities in the interpretation of the Rules should be resolved in favor of the accused.”

On the same day, STL spokesman Martin Youssef noted that the trial of Khayat would continue.

Khayat and al-Akhbar daily's editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Amin and their media organizations New TV S.A.L. and Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. had been charged with contempt by the tribunal after they disclosed details of alleged STL witnesses.

The initial hearing in the contempt case was held on May 13 at the STL's headquarters in The Hague, amid the absence of al-Amin who later appeared before the court via video conference.

Al-Jadeed TV Director General Dimitry Khodr and Khayat entered pleas of not guilty during that hearing.

The STL has indicted five Hizbullah members for involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah dismissed the court as a U.S.-Israeli scheme against his group and vowed that the accused will never be found.

Y.R.