Beirut A UN- backed court probing the 2005 murder of Lebanons ex- premier Rafiq Hariri today submitted a sealed indictment and arrest warrants to the countrys prosecutor general.
Our information is that a group of legal experts fro
m the Special Tribunal for Lebanon today submitted to prosecutor general Saeed Mirza an indictment in the case, said Fares Soueid, a top member of the Westernbacked March 14 coalition headed by Hariris son and political heir Saad Hariri.
A government official who did not wish to be named confirmed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, based in The Hague, had issued an indictment and arrest warrants – widely reported to implicate members of the powerful Hezbollah.
The Shiite party, blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Washington, has repeatedly warned that it would not sit idle should any of its members be implicated in Hariris assassination.
Television reports said four suspects, two of them members of Hezbollah, are named in the longawaited indictment, the contents of which were not made public. The STLs office could not be immediately reached for comment.
Saad Hariri described the indictment as a hard- won, historic day for Lebanon.
After many years of patience, of struggle… today, we witness a historic moment in Lebanese politics, justice and security, he said in a statement.
He also urged Lebanons new Hezbollah- dominated government to uphold its commitment to international resolutions.
The Iranian- and Syrianbacked Hezbollah forced the collapse of Saad Hariris government in January after he refused to stop cooperating with the tribunal.
His successor, Najib Mikati, who was appointed with the blessing of Hezbollah, was set today to issue a policy statement which clarifies his governments stance on the STL.
