Bellemare”s Office: Progress Made in Probe into Hariri”s Murder
Radhia Ashouri, spokesperson for Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, said Friday that progress has been made in the probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"Since the inception of the STL on 1 March 2009, the investigation has continued in many areas. Progress has been made since the last report submitted by UNIIIC to the Security Council," Ashouri told a press conference at midday Friday at the Editor”s Syndicate in Beirut.
"We are optimistic and our work is progressing," Ashouri said. She refused to elaborate.
The spokeswoman said the Prosecutor”s Beirut office was "developing specific projects to communicate with the public and media better."
Ashouri reminded that Bellemare has stated many times that he will go "wherever evidence needs him and no stone will be left unturned."
"Behind every inch of progress there is a mile of work to be done," she quoted Bellemare as stating.
Ashouri reiterated that Bellemare”s investigation is "entirely evidentiary-based" and he can "dictate the pace of the investigation, (but) he cannot dictate the outcome."
Ealier Friday, sources following up on the probe said a U.N. committee probing the Hariri murder and related crimes has stepped up its investigation.
Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, which carried the report, said an "important team" from Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare”s office was already in Beirut to follow up on this issue.