Marten Youssef Says Hasan Assassination May Fall within STL Jurisdiction

Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef said on Tuesday that referring the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan requires a decision by the United Nations Security Council.

If the Security Council decided to refer this crime or other crimes to the STL then it will work on accomplishing that, Youssef said in comments published in As Safir.

He pointed out that the work of the STL is ongoing despite the assassination of Hasan that had an impact on it.

This crime will give the STL a strong push to go forward with our work. The tribunal wants to halt terrorism that aims to destabilize Lebanon, Youssef stated.

Hasan was killed in a massive car bomb on Friday along with two other people in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district.

Legal sources told As Safir that those who are are calling for referring the Beirut bombing to the STL will try to use their foreign connections to persuade U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon to refer the case to the tribunal.

Several March 14 officials demanded authorities to request referring the assassination of Hasan to the international court.

The STL is probing ex-PM Rafik Hariri assassination who was killed on February 14, 2005 in a massive car bombing on the Beirut seafront along with another 22 people, including a suicide bomber.