STL Pre-trial Conference in Contempt Case against Al Jadeed, Karma Khayat Set for Nov. 3
Special Tribunal for Lebanon Contempt Judge Nicola Lettieri scheduled a pre-trial conference in the case against Al Jadeed S.A.L./NEW T.V. S.A.L. and Karma Mohamed Tahsin al-Khayat for November 3, announced the tribunal in a statement on Tuesday.
The Amicus Curiae Prosecutor submitted his views on the start of trial on October 23, arguing that he needs at least four to five weeks to prepare for trial including arranging the appearance of witnesses.
The Amicus said that it would not be fair, nor efficient, to have an extended time between the end of the Amicus’ case and the start of the Defense case.
On October 23, the counsel for Al Jadeed S.A.L./ NEW T.V. S.A.L. and al-Khayat argued that starting trial before February 2015 would undermine the fair trial rights of the Accused.
The Defense believes starting trial in April 2015 would best ensure a stable and predictable timeframe for trial preparations for the Contempt Judge and the parties.
According to Rule 127, at a pre-trial conference the Contempt Judge may give directions related to the trial, including determining the number of witnesses and the time available for the presentation of evidence.
Khayat and al-Akhbar daily's editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Amin and their media organizations New TV S.A.L. and Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. had been charged with contempt by the tribunal after they disclosed details of alleged STL witnesses.
The initial hearing in the contempt case was held on May 13 at the STL's headquarters in The Hague, amid the absence of al-Amin who later appeared before the court via video conference.
Al-Jadeed TV Director General Dimitry Khodr and Khayat entered pleas of not guilty during that hearing.
The STL has indicted five Hizbullah members for involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah dismissed the court as a U.S.-Israeli scheme against his group and vowed that the accused will never be found.
over 9 years
You beat me to it mowaten. I was thinking the same thing, exactly the same! We are so so similar: we are both narcissists, both shia extremists who pretend to be moderates, both have an inferiority complex, both pretend to be secular, and both have multiple accounts. I just hope readers don't think we are the same poster.
over 9 years
we hear you mowaten from dahyeh, we hear you. Your opinion while irrelevant is important to us. We will send you back the money that your hizb paid for but we need an address.
over 9 years
one of your best LEBhasNOhope, but still not good enough.
over 9 years
seriously- There has to be a better way to make a living. I can't imagine the pay to do this is significant enough to make a good living. Is it a side job while you go to school? or what?
over 9 years
buzz off you troll, get a life instead of worrying about mine
over 9 years
I'm a troll? hahahahahahahahahaha
over 9 years
STL are Israeli American paid tools, plain and simple.
over 9 years
well said full.diclsoure
over 9 years
mowaten, you sound like an immature kid completely disconnected from reality, just trying to build some silly rationale based on bits & pieces of propaganda and lies.
over 9 years
hahahahahhaa mowaten do you really believe all that BS you're posting, or is it just some desperate attempt now that you and your terrorists are feeling cornered?
over 9 years
well said southern
over 9 years
Ridiculous to continue to waste money and time on the STL when Lebanon is overrun with Syrian refugees. The policies of Regime Change unleashed by the USA and it's friends have done far more to destabilize Lebanon and the Middle East than the Harari assassination.
ya STL clowns, how about you stop harrassing journalists and trying to silence them, and do the actual job we've payed you hundreds of millions to do?
just in case you forgot, you were supposed to investigate the hariri assassination, which incidentally involved FINDING EVIDENCE. it's been nearly 10 years and all you have presented so far is gossip and monkey tricks, WE WANT OUR MONNEY BACK YOU INCOMPETENTS.