April 9, 2009 - Naharnet - Warrants Lifted Against Lebanon Generals in Hariri Case

A Lebanese investigating judge on Wednesday lifted arrest warrants against four high-ranking generals jailed since 2005 in connection with former premier Rafik Hariri's murder, a judicial official told Agence France Presse (AFP). However the official, who asked not to be identified, added that Judge Saqr Saqr also ordered that the four remain in jail pending a decision on their fate by The Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Saqr issued his decision as he approved the transfer of Lebanese documents linked to a probe into Hariri's 2005 assassination to the tribunal set up to try suspects in the case and in the killings of other Lebanese figures. "Lebanon's justice system has decided to stand back from the case and stop its probe," Saqr said in his ruling. He added that it was up to the STL to decide whether the generals, who have not been formally charged, would remain behind bars. The four generals are the former head of the presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan, security services director Jamil Sayyed, domestic security chief Ali Hajj and military intelligence chief Raymond Azar. The U.N.-sponsored tribunal had called on Lebanon last month to hand over documents related to the Hariri case and results of the local investigation.Hariri's murder was one of the striking acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since its 1975-1990 civil war and led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops after a 29-year presence. A U.N. investigative commission has pointed to evidence that Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services were involved in Hariri's February 14, 2005 killing. Damascus has consistently denied any involvement in the attack and in the killings of several other anti-Syrian politicians since 2005