Ban: Courtroom Will be Ready for Use at Beginning of 2010
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the courtroom at The Hague, where suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri would be tried, will be ready for use by the beginning of 2010.
Ban stressed, however, in his third report on procedures regarding implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1757, that security measures around the international tribunal”s courtroom building would be completed early next month.
Excerpts from his report were published Thursday by some Lebanese newspapers. The full Ban report is set to be released Feb. 28.
Ban emphasized he would "only" announce names of judges presiding over the Hariri trial when all necessary security measures to protect them had been completed.
He said that adoption of such measures is the key point to the success of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.