The Special Tribunal for Lebanon Kicks-Off with Promises of Unbiased Justice
An international tribunal created to try the suspected killers of former premier Rafik Hariri was inaugurated Sunday at a special ceremony in The Hague, with the chief prosecutor warning that "no one was immune" from punishment.
"I welcome you to the opening ceremony" of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, registrar Robin Vincent told VIPs, diplomats and journalists gathered for the much-anticipated event at the tribunal”s new seat at former Dutch intelligence headquarters in the suburb of Leidschendam.
Guests included the U.N. under-secretary general for legal affairs, Patricia O”Brien, Lebanese ambassador to the Netherlands Zeidan al-Saghir and the tribunal”s chief prosecutor Daniel Bellemare.
"We must not forget that the main reason why the tribunal came to existence is the sufferings of the victims and their families," Vincent said.
"In the end, we are not here today just for the United Nations or the international gathering. We are here for Lebanon," he added.
"We are not here for those who committed these crimes, we are here for the victims of these crimes," he concluded, before requesting a moment of silence in memory of those who were murdered on February 14, 2005.
For his part, Bellemare ensured that the tribunal does not fall under any form of external influence. "Our work will be independent. We work according to evidence, the law and our own conscience," he told the ceremony.
The Canadian judge was adamant in his position that official indictments would only be issued based on incriminating evidence. He also made clear that no side or figure would be exempt from answering to the court.
"I will not issue an indictment unless fully convinced with the evidence presented. I will not press charges just to please a certain side," he said, in an indirect warning against political meddling in the trial”s proceedings.
Bellemare also declined to give a timeframe for when he will start pressing charges, but he confirmed there will be more then one indictment.
"No one is immune," he insisted, adding that the crime was committed "by several individuals, while others people were aware of it."
He again said he will soon be filing a "request for the Lebanese government to hand over all that is related to the tribunal, including the detainees."
Four Lebanese generals have been in held in Lebanon for nearly four years over the killing. Bellemare said any decision to release the four figures "will be up to the tribunal."
As of Sunday, the office of the prosecutor will have 60 days to apply to the Lebanese authorities for the transfer of suspects and evidence files.
In the meantime, the international investigating commission will continue its work "in compliance with international criteria," he said.
Bellemare said so far he has not faced any impediments to his work. "Neither do I expect to face any difficulties in the future. But in case I do, we will take the necessary measures." He also said that Syria”s cooperation with the STL has been "satisfactory."
Bellemare has led the international investigation into a series of attacks on Lebanese political and media personalities, notably Hariri”s assassination in a car bombing in February 2005 that also killed 22 other people. There was no indication of a date for its first trial.
Addressing the audience, O”Brian described the STL as "turning point" in the international community”s efforts to end a culture of impunity that has for so long allowed murder crimes in Lebanon to go unpunished.
The tribunal, created by a U.N. Security Council resolution of June 2007, will apply the Lebanese penal code. It has an initial, renewable, three-year mandate, though Vincent has predicted it may need closer to five years.
O”Brian said that one of the traits that distinguishes the STL international tribunals was that elements of civil law were "more apparent" in the current court. The application of the Lebanese penal code, she explained, guarantees "swift trials, prevents unnecessary delays and allows trials in absentia."
She pointed out that international "interest in the tribunal will definitely increase as it starts operating." She assured the Lebanese public will be able to follow the tribunal”s proceedings and will be able to "access accurate and correct information on the trial”s progress."
The U.N. official insisted on the "impartial and independent" nature of the tribunal. She said the STL”s formation is a "strong indication that these assassinations and terrorist attacks will not be allowed to continue."
For his part, Lebanese Ambassador Saghir said: "The Lebanese have long waited for this day. Justice will take its course. The Lebanese people have the right to feel safe."
Lebanon has been trying "to end the wave of terrorist attacks" on its soil, he said, adding that the tribunal "has come to lift this heavyweight off Lebanon”s shoulders."
The identities of the tribunal”s 11 judges, four of them Lebanese, are being kept under wraps for security reasons.
In its early stages, the UN probe into the murder implicated top officials close to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Damascus has consistently denied any involvement.
Vincent has told reporters that the courtroom, to be erected in what used to be a spies” gymnasium, was unlikely to be completed before November this year.
The tribunal, he added, had a separate wing of holding cells at the Dutch penitentiary in Scheveningen, which "is operational, staffed and ready to receive anyone we get."
The budget, 49 of which will be paid by Lebanon, is $51.4 million (40 million euros) for 2009.