Roux Says Visit to Lebanon a 'Routine,' Trials Date Could be Modified

Head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's defense office Francois Roux said that his current visit to Lebanon is a routine visit as he is keen to maintain the ties with authorities and the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations to remind all sides of the right of the defendants to have a fair trial, noting that the date of trials on March 25 could be changed.

He described the visit in comments published in An Nahar as “good and useful.”

Roux said that he tackled with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi the cooperation between the Lebanese authorities and the defense team as he held various other meetings with the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations members and other organizations.

During a Status Conference on September 28, which was headed by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen, the defense lawyers said they were facing obstacles whereby Lebanon has ignored repeated requests to cooperate with the STL probing former Premier Rafik Hariri's 2005 murder, accusing prosecutors of stalling in handing over evidence they needed for the trial in absentia of four Hizbullah members accused of involvement in the bombing.

Roux stated that the defense lawyers have a short period to complete their case as trials in absentia will kick off on March 25 next year, noting however that the trials date can be modified.

The lawyers demanded the Lebanese authorities provide them with urgent answers on their questions, however, the authorities are facing difficulties, which is understandable, but time is running short, Roux said.

He considered that it's “not desirable” to kick off the trials early if all preparations are not complete because the trial will then take a long time to end.

On October 1, the defendants' lawyers argued during an open hearing on the appeal against the decision on the jurisdiction and the legality of the Tribunal that the U.N.-backed court had no jurisdiction in the case.

Defense lawyers in June launched a bid to have the U.N.-backed court declared illegal, saying the U.N. Security Council had abused its powers when it set up the tribunal five years ago.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said he doubted the four indictees will ever be found and has branded the tribunal a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy aimed at bringing down the party.

The Hizbullah members Salim Ayyash and Mustafa Badreddine face five charges including that of "committing a terrorist act by means of an explosive device" and homicide, while Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra face charges of conspiring to commit the same acts.

The four men remain at large.