Bellemare Would Appeal Any Decision to Begin in Absentia Trials

Naharnet Exclusive Report – Leidschendam:

A high-ranking official from the office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon said Judge Daniel Bellemare and his team have made up their mind to totally reject any plans to immediately begin in absentia trials of the four Hizbullah suspects in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination.

The official told Naharnet hours before a hearing session scheduled to be held at the STL on Friday morning that Bellemare is holding onto his stance and could even appeal a possible decision by the pre-trial chamber within 15 days to go ahead with the in absentia trials.

Friday’s hearing comes after the pre-trial chamber was asked to determine whether proceedings in absentia against the four Hizbullah members were appropriate.

But the official said that Bellemare would resort to all possible means to prevent the accused from luring the STL into initiating the trials in accordance with the timing that suits the suspects.

The prosecutor has expressed fears that influential political parties that reject the court want in absentia proceedings to begin soon in order to examine the details of the probe into Hariri’s murder and check documents that could help them hinder the investigation by threatening the witnesses and casting doubts on the evidence.

Bellemare is also aware that these parties would launch media campaigns to create a public opinion that targets the work of the STL and its objectives in finding the culprits and taking them to court.

The official also told Naharnet that the parties that reject the tribunal sought several months ago through former general Jamil Sayyed and his attorney Akram Azouri to acquire documents and testimonies for the purpose of tarnishing the image of the court and putting obstacles to the investigation.

The official warned that the anti-STL parties will seek again through another Sayyed attorney - Antoine Korkmaz who is also the lead counsel for Hizbullah suspect Mustafa Badreddine – to acquire what Azouri had been unable to lay his hands on.

However, the official told Naharnet that Bellemare would prevent Korkmaz from getting what Azouri had failed to receive. At this point, neither Sayyed nor the political parties that support him would be able to receive the files and documents which would be released to the media and to the Lebanese and international public opinion.

About the STL defense office, the official said that the prosecutor and his team respect its work and the selection of defense counsels but Bellemare and his staff will have to take into consideration the political intentions of some lawyers and will seek to prevent the suspects and their political backers from having the upper hand.