REPORT: STL holds hearing session for Al Jadeed TV and Al Akhbar newspaper

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The Special Tribunal for Lebanon held on Tuesday the trial session of Al-Jadeed TV and Al-Akhbar newspaper at the Tribunal’s headquarters on the outskirts of The Hague, the Netherlands.

Karma Mohamed Tahsin al Khayat, along with other persons from Al-Jadeed TV arrived to the STL’s HQ to attend the hearing session.

In this regard Khayat stated that she appeared before court to defend her rights under the law, stressing sarcastically that “Lebanese authorities replaced Syria's guardianship with Chapter 7 of the United Nations’ Security Council.”

Chapter 7 of the UN Charter sets out the UN Security Council’s powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to “determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression” and to take military and nonmilitary action to “restore international peace and security."

Khayat stated that seeking information is the sacred right of all journalists, emphasizing that Al-Jadeed’s crime is that it respected the ethics and morals of journalism while at the same time highlighting the inaccuracies of the STL.

She also mentioned that Al-Jadeed TV carried out professional investigations, pointing out that the TV contacted persons and did not mention their names.

“The Lebanese state let us down,” Khayat said.

It is worth noting that Ibrahim Mohamed Al Amin from Al Akhbar newspaper refused to appear before court.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon subpoenaed Karma Mohamed Tahsin al Khayat from Al-Jadeed TV, as well as the station's parent company New TV S.A.L., to appear before the STL on two counts of Contempt and Obstruction of Justice.

Ibrahim Mohamed Al Amin from Al Akhbar, as well as the newspaper's parent company Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. have also been summoned on one count of Contempt and Obstruction of Justice.

The accused are being charged under Rule 60 bis (A) of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and all the charges relate to the Ayyash et al. case.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was set up by the United Nations at the Lebanese government's request to try the alleged perpetrators of the 2005 bombing in which former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others were killed.

To watch Edmond Sassine's report, please click on the video above.