STL Appoints Investigator to Probe Unauthorized Disclosures of Witness Identities

Acting Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Daryl Mundis appointed Mr. Stephane Bourgon, Ad.E., of Canada as amicus curiae to investigate the three events that are the subject of allegations of contempt, announced the tribunal in a statement on Tuesday.

“The appointment follows the decision of the Contempt Judge David Baragwanath on April 29, 2013 to initiate proceedings in three incidents which could potentially be considered interference with the administration of justice through publication of alleged witness identities,” it added.

Bourgon will report back to Baragwanath within the next few months on whether there are “sufficient grounds” to start contempt proceedings, it explained.

Baragwanath has also requested the acting registrar to appoint Mr Hugo Keith QC of the United Kingdom as amicus curiae to be available for consultation on specific issues in this context if needed.

On April 11, the STL condemned “in the strongest possible terms” what it called “the latest attempt to interfere with the proper administration of justice by publishing a list of alleged witnesses and potentially endangering the lives of Lebanese citizens.”

The website of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by slain former Premier Rafik Hariri's family, was hacked and its front page was replaced with the alleged names of the “secret witnesses in the STL” by a group calling itself “Journalists for the Truth.”

“Any attempt to knowingly and willfully interfere with the judicial process, including disclosure of confidential material or threatening, intimidating, or otherwise interfering with potential witnesses, is taken very seriously by the four organs of the Tribunal,” the STL warned in April.