West Recommends Syria Seek Legal Assistance Ahead Of Special Tribunal
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Friday that, according to a European source, Western countries advised the Syrian regime to form a team of Syrian and foreign law experts to defend those who might be accused of being involved in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination.
The paper said the countries emphasized the importance of the full cooperation of the Syrian authorities with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, without attempting to obstruct the court’s work or facilitate some suspects’ escape.
“Syrians should defend themselves, because no country is ready to be charged [with the task],” the source told An-Nahar.
The paper quoted the source as saying, “If the Syrian regime refuses to hand over officials that might be convicted by the court, the regime would be convicting itself.”
The source concluded that no country was ready to make a deal at the expense of the court.