Judiciary Calls for Separating Judicial System from Politics
Lebanon”s Higher Judicial Council on Tuesday rejected political attacks against the judicial system and called for keeping politics separate from the judiciary.
A statement issued at the end of the meeting headed by Council President Judge Ghaleb Ghanem condemned "attacks" against the judicial authority and its members.
It reminded that in a state governed by law "any demand should go through the appropriate legal institutions to find its way to a solution."
Addressing the various political leaders, the Council urged them to distance the judicial system from their "political interest."
The Council was expected to adopt a stance on former Lebanese security services director Brig. Gen. Jamil Sayyed”s accusations against the judiciary with some informed sources saying the HJC is mulling to prosecute the former general.
Informed sources told al-Mustaqbal daily that the Council will adopt a series of procedures and decisive decisions after Sayyed said during a press conference Sunday that the "criminal state" keeps among its ranks people like public prosecutor Saeed Mirza.
However, al-Liwaa daily quoted well informed sources as saying that the Council will only issue a statement in which it will stress its credibility and seriousness.
Sayyed, 58, was freed in April after nearly four years in jail along with three other generals after the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ordered their release on grounds there was insufficient evidence to indict them for ex-Premier Rafik Hariri”s 2005 murder.
Upon his release, Sayyed said the four generals were freed but "the only remaining inmate is Rafik Hariri and his jailer is Lebanon”s judicial system."
In May, Sayyed said he felt especially bitter toward Lebanon”s judicial system which, he claimed, had allowed itself to be politically manipulated in the case. At the time the Higher Judicial Council issued a statement denying the former general”s accusations.
Judicial sources told al-Liwaa on Tuesday that the Council will mull prosecuting Sayyed. However, there is a tendency to transcend the former general”s accusations and only issue a statement.