UN extends Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s mandate

The Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Thursday the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s mandate extension from March 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, for the completion of the non-judicial residual functions and the orderly closure of the Special Tribunal.    

The work of the Special Tribunal, which was ordered to conduct trials for those accused of the attack on February 14, 2005, in Beirut that killed 22 people, including the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafic Hariri, and injured 226 others, is coming to its end.     

Following a complicated investigation and a trial in absentia, the Special Tribunal acquitted Assad Hassan Sabra. It convicted Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, and Hussein Hassan Oneissi, sentencing them to five concurrent sentences of life imprisonment.   

A completion plan agreed upon between the United Nations and the Government of Lebanon will guide the Special Tribunal to ensure the completion of residual functions, namely the preservation of the records and archives, responding to requests for information, and providing the protection of victims and witnesses who coordinated with the Special Tribunal.   

“The Secretary-General commends the work of all the judges, senior officials, and staff who have worked tirelessly and diligently over the years to implement the Special Tribunal’s mandate and calls upon Member States to continue to support the Special Tribunal in 2023 to ensure that its residual functions can be completed and its legacy can be ensured,” said the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric.