General prosecutor will provide clear justification in recommendation on Generals
Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said that although the four generals held on suspect of involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri “were still under arrest, it did not mean they had already been convicted.”
After meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Monday, Najjar said Lebanon was still waiting for Special Tribunal General Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare to submit his petition on the four generals’ case.
Special Tribunal spokesperson Radhia Achouri told reporters last week that the petition deadline was Monday, April 27.
Najjar also said that Bellemare’s petition would either recommend the four generals be convicted for the crime or be released according to the files the judge was provided with. The general prosecutor would also provide clear justification of his recommendation, so that it “does not remain a secret,” the justice minster added.
Najjar also said that Pre-trial Judge Daniel Fransen would study the general prosecutor’s recommendation, but only the latter had the sole authority to make the file verdict. However, Najjar explained that Fransen’s decision could be appealed by Bellemare or the suspects.
Najjar also denied having received any official information on the alleged arrest of Mohammad Zuhair Siddiq in the UAE, who is the lead witness in the Hariri case.
There had “only been media reports,” of the arrest, Najjar said.