Daily Star - Justice Ministry official says UN accelerating Hariri court, October 24, 2007
The head of the Justice Ministry's Legislation and Consultations Commission, Magistrate Shukri Sader, said from New York on Tuesday that the UN was speeding up the process of forming the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will try suspects in the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper, Sader said he was in New York on a personal visit rather than to attend meetings there between international judges nominated to the tribunal and the UN committee which will choose the jurists of the international court. Sader stressed that the UN was "determined to push things forward," bearing in mind the findings of the investigation, currently led by Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who is stepping down at the end of the year. Sader said that the investigation into Hariri's assassination and other crimes was "gaining momentum." "The findings of Brammertz's investigation will be handed to the general prosecutor of the [international] tribunal," he added.
An-Nahar reported on Tuesday that Brammertz has arrived in Beirut to try to wrap a final report on his investigation before leaving office. Nader predicted that Brammertz "won't uncover the secrets and minute details of his investigation." Instead, the mgistrate said, he was likely "to reveal general findings." Two weeks ago, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the composition of a selection panel to recommend to him the names of judges and chief prosecutor to work on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He sent a letter to the UN Security Council informing it of his intention to appoint Egyptian Judge Mohammad Amin al-Mehdi, Norwegian Judge Erik Mese and UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicholas Michel to the panel. Mehdi formerly served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, and Mese currently sits on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The panel is tasked with recommending to Ban the names of the four Lebanese judges and seven international judges who should serve on the court, as well as its chief prosecutor.
The head of the Justice Ministry's Legislation and Consultations Commission, Magistrate Shukri Sader, said from New York on Tuesday that the UN was speeding up the process of forming the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will try suspects in the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper, Sader said he was in New York on a personal visit rather than to attend meetings there between international judges nominated to the tribunal and the UN committee which will choose the jurists of the international court. Sader stressed that the UN was "determined to push things forward," bearing in mind the findings of the investigation, currently led by Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who is stepping down at the end of the year. Sader said that the investigation into Hariri's assassination and other crimes was "gaining momentum." "The findings of Brammertz's investigation will be handed to the general prosecutor of the [international] tribunal," he added.
An-Nahar reported on Tuesday that Brammertz has arrived in Beirut to try to wrap a final report on his investigation before leaving office. Nader predicted that Brammertz "won't uncover the secrets and minute details of his investigation." Instead, the mgistrate said, he was likely "to reveal general findings." Two weeks ago, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced the composition of a selection panel to recommend to him the names of judges and chief prosecutor to work on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He sent a letter to the UN Security Council informing it of his intention to appoint Egyptian Judge Mohammad Amin al-Mehdi, Norwegian Judge Erik Mese and UN Undersecretary General for Legal Affairs Nicholas Michel to the panel. Mehdi formerly served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia, and Mese currently sits on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The panel is tasked with recommending to Ban the names of the four Lebanese judges and seven international judges who should serve on the court, as well as its chief prosecutor.
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