Report: Bellemare, Hizbullah Officials Met Before Tribunal”s Launch
The international tribunal”s chief prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, met with Hizbullah officials before traveling to The Hague for the start of the court”s operations, As Safir daily reported Tuesday.
The newspaper quoted sources from the U.N. commission investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri”s assassination as saying that last week”s meeting was "fruitful and very positive."
The sources lauded Hizbullah”s "cooperation," and denied that the Shiite party "had refused to cooperate."
The report did not give further details.
As Safir said the sources also described as "untrue" reports that Dutch intelligence services had arrested several Hizbullah members who took photographs of the headquarters of the international tribunal that would try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri”s suspected assassins.
France”s Le Monde daily reported last week that Hizbullah members photographed the tribunal building. The Shiite party issued a denial.
Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the launching of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon "marks a decisive milestone" in efforts to bring Hariri”s assassins to justice.
"The commencement of the tribunal”s work marks a decisive milestone in the tireless efforts by all Lebanese and the international community to uncover the truth, bring those responsible for this assassination and related crimes to justice, and end impunity," Ban said, in a statement issued by his spokesperson.
He said he was pleased to announce that the tribunal has commenced in The Hague.
"Just over four years ago, on 14 February 2005, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others were killed in a heinous terrorist attack in central Beirut," Ban reminded the world.
The secretary-general stressed that the court is an "independent body," and reaffirmed "the unwavering commitment of the United Nations to the tribunal”s mission."
He also urged all U.N. member states to "fully support and cooperate" with the tribunal.
U.N. Legal Counsel Patricia O”Brien, who attended Sunday”s ceremony to mark the start of the tribunal in The Hague, is expected to hold a press conference in New York on Tuesday to brief reporters about the court.