The registrar of the administration of the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon Herman Von Hebel stated on Monday that a date for the trial session
has been set for March 25th 2013, with the Prosecution expected to submit its Pre-Trial brief by 15 November, including a list of witnesses.
From his twitter account Von Hebel reiterated that the STL
administration was working hard to prepare for the start of the trial and is
eager to fulfill its mandate and mission.
Answering a question on the delay in the procedures of the
court, Von Hebel said: “We recognize that the investigation has taken a long
time. However, the investigations are very complicated and need careful
preparation since the prosecutor has to prove beyond reasonable doubt. The defense
needs adequate time to prepare. Justice needs to be delivered against very high
international standards.”
On the obligations of the Lebanese authorities, Von Hebel said that the government is still obliged to find and arrest the accused, and to report to STL on a monthly basis.
When Al Balad News asked
the STL’s Registrar about the effect of the latest amendments made to the
indictment on the course of trials, he replied “We do not expect that the trial
will be delayed due to the amendments proposed by the prosecution”, adding that
the indictment does not include any new charges or accused.
Asked on the pressure
that Great Powers may exert on the STL, Von Hebel stressed that the court is independent
and is not subject to any political pressure.
“The court’s judges are independent,
honest and impartial; they are committed to the rules of procedure and evidence
as well as the statute of the court”, he said.
Asked about the court’s
role in stopping terrorist attack in Lebanon, Von Hebel said “the STL was
established to address a number of assassinations between Oct 04 and Dec 05”,
voicing his confidence that the trial will contribute to the fight against
impunity.
“The recent attack in
Achrafieh shows the importance of this work and the need to finalize our
mandate as quickly as possible”, he said.
Regarding whether or not the case of late Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan would be taken up by the STL, Von Hebel said that the case is in the hands of the Lebanese authorities, adding that the Tribunal has jurisdiction over connected cases between Oct 2004 to 12 Dec 2005. Connected cases of a later date can only come to STL if the Lebanese government and the UN decide to do so with the consent of the UNSC, Von Hebel added.
Asked about the court’s
role in stopping terrorist attack in Lebanon, Von Hebel said “the STL was
established to address a number of assassinations between Oct 04 and Dec 05”,
voicing his confidence that the trial will contribute to the fight against
impunity.
“The recent attack in
Achrafieh shows the importance of this work and the need to finalize our
mandate as quickly as possible”, he said.
LBCI asked how the "lack of transparency" may affect the validity of the verdict to which Von Hebel replied:"The trial will be broadcast and will be available on the STL website during hearings in all 3 languages.
Transcripts of the hearings in the 3 languages [Arabic, English, French] will also be available for everyone to view.The evidence will be presented in open court. Transparency is a fundamental principle of a fair trial.
According to our procedural rules, the judges are entitled to hold
hearings in closed or private session whenever strong reasons dictate.
This is the exception to the rule."
On funding the Tribunal, Von Hebel said that it is funded by Lebanon (49%) with voluntary contributions from other countries covering the rest of the expenses (51%).
"Voluntary contributions to date come from 26 countries on 5 continents," he said.
"We are confident that we will raise enough funds to continue our work uninterrupted in 2013," he added.
Von Hebel said that “Lebanon has paid its annual share for the year 2012; as for 2013 we’ll have
to wait for the ratification of the Court’s budget; only then will the U.N.
Secretary General call on the Lebanese government to pay its share.”