This blog of the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) aims at granting the public opinion access to all information related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon : daily press review in english, french and arabic ; UN documents, etc...

Ce blog du
Centre Libanais des droits humains (CLDH) a pour objectif de rendre accessible à l'opinion publique toute l'information relative au Tribunal Spécial pour le Liban : revue de presse quotidienne en anglais, francais et arabe ; documents onusiens ; rapports, etc...
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PRESS REVIEW

May 4, 2009 - Naharnet - Efforts to Contain Crisis over Generals' Release

Efforts are underway to help defuse tension that resulted in a sharp political split over the release of Lebanon's top four generals and opposition threats of stepped up campaigns to force the resignation of two Lebanese judges.
The difficult task come as the Higher Judicial Council (HJC) readies to meet on Tuesday to contain a wave of condemnation triggered by the release of the four generals held without charge for nearly four years over the Feb. 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The daily An Nahar on Monday said contacts will continue in a bid to restore commitment to Thursday's cabinet decision to leave the generals' issue to the HJC.

It said efforts will focus on convincing "some" factions within the Hizbullah-led opposition to call off plans to stage a sit-in outside the justice ministry on Tuesday to force the resignation of Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza and the examining magistrate into the Hariri case, Judge Saqr Saqr.

Hizbullah has called for ensuring accountability of the judiciary over the "arbitrary" detention of the four generals who were held without charge as suspects in the Hariri case since August 2005.

They are former head of the presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan, security services director Jamil Sayyed, security chief Ali Hajj, and military intelligence chief Raymond Azar. They were released April 29.

An Nahar said apparently not all opposition groups showed enthusiasm for escalation for fear of deepening the political rift.

Meanwhile, As Safir newspaper quoted March 8 sources as saying the "opposition battle" is not one with the judicial institution, but with Mirza and Saqr.

"If the HJC proved that they did not violate their (the judges) duties, the opposition is willing to apologize," one source told As Safir.

HJC President Judge Ghaleb Ghanem said Tuesday's meeting is not a "routine" one.

"It's not like any other meeting. We would discuss the current issue and take the necessary stances," Ghanem said in remarks published Monday by As Safir.

Judge Mirza said he would not take part in the HJC meeting because he had already planned to travel abroad to continue medical treatment.

"Each person has the right to demand what he wants, and I have the right to take the appropriate position which relieves my conscience," Mirza told As Safir.

Magistrate Saqr, for his part, justified the detention of the four generals, saying he acted in accordance with the requirements of the law.

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Background - خلفية

On 13 December 2005 the Government of the Lebanese Republic requested the UN to establish a tribunal of an international character to try all those who are alleged responsible for the attack of 14 february 2005 that killed the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others. The United Nations and the Lebanese Republic consequently negotiated an agreement on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Liens - Links - مواقع ذات صلة

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, David Schenker , March 30, 2010 . Beirut Spring: The Hariri Tribunal Goes Hunting for Hizballah


Frederic Megret, McGill University, 2008. A special tribunal for Lebanon: the UN Security Council and the emancipation of International Criminal Justice


International Center for Transitional Justice Handbook on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, April 10, 2008


United Nations
Conférence de presse de Nicolas Michel, 19 Sept 2007
Conférence de presse de Nicolas Michel, 27 Mars 2008


Département d'Etat américain
* 2009 Human Rights report
* 2008 Human Rights report
* 2007 Human Rights report
* 2006 Human Rights report
* 2005 Human Rights report



ICG - International Crisis Group
The Hariri Tribunal: Separate the Political and the Judicial, 19 July, 2007. [Fr]


HCSS - Hague Centre for strategic studies
Hariri, Homicide and the Hague


Human Rights Watch
* Hariri Tribunal can restore faith in law, 11 may 2006
* Letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, april 27, 2006


Amnesty International
* STL insufficient without wider action to combat impunity
* Liban : le Tribunal de tous les dangers, mai 2007
* Jeu de mecano


Courrier de l'ACAT - Wadih Al Asmar
Le Tribunal spécial pour le Liban : entre espoir et inquiétude


Georges Corm
La justice penale internationale pour le Liban : bienfait ou malediction?


Nadim Shedadi and Elizabeth Wilmshurt, Chatham House
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon : the UN on Trial?, July 2007


Issam Michael Saliba, Law Library of Congress
International Tribunals, National Crimes and the Hariri Assassination : a novel development in International Criminal Law, June 2007


Mona Yacoubian, Council on Foreign Relations
Linkages between Special UN Tribunal, Lebanon, and Syria, June 1, 2007