STL Legal Representatives of the Victims: It is Time to End Terrorism in Lebanon

by Naharnet Newsdesk over 11 years

Timeline

The hearing was adjourned to 11 am Beirut time on Monday. over 11 years

The Prosecution will be ready to present evidence in the case on Wednesday. over 11 years

Haynes: The victims will speak about impunity and the lack of justice. over 11 years

Haynes: We must not forget the casualties and the victims of other attacks that have taken place in Lebanon. over 11 years

Haynes then listed the names of a number of victims who where affected by Hariri's assassination. over 11 years

Haynes: Those present in the courtroom today are only a fraction of the victims whose lives have been affected by the assassination. over 11 years

Haynes: There are 65 victims: 16 are the injured survivors and 49 are relatives of those killed in the attack. A selection of the victims are present here. over 11 years

Haynes introduced the victims present at the trial chamber. over 11 years

Haynes: The victims have the right to truth and the perpetrators and see justice served to those found guilty of the crimes. over 11 years

Haynes: A victim participating in the proceedings in a manner that would not harm the impartiality of the trial. over 11 years

Haynes explained the process in which the victims had to apply to the STL to actually identify themselves as victims. over 11 years

Haynes: The victims have the right to know the truth of what happened. over 11 years

Haynes: The victims are a central component of the path of justice. over 11 years

Haynes: It is important that the voices of the victims be heard because they served as the catalyst for the STL's formation. over 11 years

Haynes: The STL reflects the system which the Lebanese are familiar with. over 11 years

Haynes: It is the holy legitimate right of the victims of a criminal act to be represented at the trial of the accused. They have the right to be heard. over 11 years

Legal Representative of the Victims Peter Haynes: Having listened to the Prosecution and hear them highlight the plights of some of the tragic figures who suffered from the Hariri assassination, some Lebanese may ask, why am I here and why are my two colleagues here with me? over 11 years

Mattar: Skeptics should rest assured that in absentia trials are a central part of the Lebanese penal system. over 11 years

Mattar: It would not be an exaggeration to say that all developments in Lebanon since Hariri's assassination are directly linked to the establishment of the STL. over 11 years

Mattar: We pledge as representatives of the victims to achieve justice. over 11 years

Mattar: The STL will help restore the people's faith in the rule of law, justice, and human rights. over 11 years

Mattar: The STL will prove to all that facts and evidence dictate its work. over 11 years

Mattar: Today is the first day towards achieving justice. over 11 years

Mattar: People in Lebanon are starting to be rewarded for their vices. It is unfortunate that we have started to coexist with this flawed rule. over 11 years

Mattar: We hope that the STL would help assert the rule of law and that those violating the law would be punished. over 11 years

Mattar: The concept of “balance of power” has become an excuse to obstruct the role of constitutional institutions in Lebanon. over 11 years

Mattar: Killing has become a way to achieve political goals in Lebanon. over 11 years

Mattar: The criminals will be pursued and justice will be achieved. over 11 years

Mattar: Impunity must end and never return. over 11 years

Mattar: A natural death in Lebanon has become a privilege. over 11 years

Mattar: What provoked officials at the time to tamper with Hariri's crime scene? They and the killers were not aware that the assassination will break the fear barrier. over 11 years

Mattar: Hariri's assassination targeted every free Lebanese. The killer did not expect such a response from the people. over 11 years

Mattar: How was Lebanon able to unite in order to achieve change? The Lebanese people rose up against the reality they were living in in light of Hariri's assassination. His murder was a challenge to all the free Lebanese people, regardless of their political affiliations. over 11 years

Mattar: Those sides relied on fear to achieve their goals. over 11 years

Mattar: Those threatened by Hariri's vision exploited Lebanon's judiciary to exercise oppression. over 11 years

Legal Representative of the Victims, Mohammad Mattar: Rafik Hariri spoke to the people's sense of hope. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: The STL will consecrate a human value that ruling through murder can be punished. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Justice in this crime will render justice in all other crimes where tribunals should have been set up. Had a tribunal been established, Rafik Hariri would never have been assassinated. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Justice cannot undo the harm done the victims, but it will grant them their rights and restore the dignity of human beings. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: The victims have the right to the truth. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Terrorism anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: This is a temporary tribunal, but its principles are eternal. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: The STL has the power to uproot terror from Lebanon and even the entire world. We are all citizens of the world. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Nine victims of the STL are present here, including former PM Saad Hariri. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: All these victims are equal in suffering and equal in suffering injustice. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: No matter how great they are, individual efforts are no longer enough. The STL has the potential to end impunity. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Due to impunity, a mountain of terror, oppression, and injustice has been piling up over the year before the silent eyes of the international community. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Before the eyes of the international community thousands of people have been massacred, all innocent citizens. over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: For 40 years assailants have been killing the Lebanese people. What makes us different than other human beings? over 11 years

Legal Representatives of the Victims: Since the 1970s, Lebanon has witnessed the highest number of assassinations in human history. over 11 years

An STL hearing for Legal Representatives of the Victims is underway. over 11 years

The Legal Representatives of the Victims at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon voiced on Friday their confidence that the tribunal would be able to achieve justice “that has long been missing in Lebanon.”

They said during their opening statements at the trial that it is “time to end terrorism in Lebanon and put the criminals on trial.”

The representatives are Nada Abdelsater-Abusamra, Mohammed Mattar, and Peter Haynes.

Abdelsater said: “Since the 1970s, Lebanon has witnessed the highest number of assassinations in human history.”

“Due to impunity, a mountain of terror, oppression, and injustice has been piling up over the year before the silent eyes of the international community,” she added.

“This tribunal is temporary, but its principles are eternal,” she stressed.

“Real truth is not limited to identifying the killers and satisfying our curiosity, but it lies in wanting to achieve justice and respecting human rights,” Abdelsater continued.

“How are we expected to turn the page if we haven't read it? Forgive? Who do we forgive if we do not know their identity?” she asked.

“Justice lies in seeing the oppressors being brought to justice,” Abdelsater stressed.

Moreover, she noted that justice in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will achieve justice to some other cases that should have had tribunal set up for them.

Had tribunals been established for those cases, Hariri may have never been assassinated, she remarked.

For his part, Mattar lamented that “a natural death in Lebanon has become a privilege” given the numerous assassinations and bombings that have taken place in the country.

He demanded an end to such a reality, hoping that the STL would accomplish this goal and deliver the message that the criminals will be pursued and brought to justice.

“We are not demanding vengeance, but justice,” he stated.

The tribunal could help restore the Lebanese people's faith in justice, crime and punishment, and the rule of law, he continued.

“To those skeptical of the STL, they should rest assured that in absentia trials are a central part of the Lebanese penal law,” Mattar said.

Haynes later introduced the victims of the Hariri assassination who were present in the courtroom, including former Premier Saad Hariri.

He added: “There are 65 victims: 16 are the injured survivors and 49 are relatives of those killed in the assassination.”

The STL will continue its hearings on 11 am Beirut time on Monday.

Comments 20

primesuspect over 11 years

¡finally, justice!

mohammad_ca over 11 years

For the first time in our history we see a professional judiciary taking on the case of political assassinations.

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Waw sagh always such impressive comments... Bravo

Mystic over 11 years

STL is a Israeli tool, used to spread fitnah in Lebanon. Why use billions of dollars on animations and staged videos, instead of the people of Lebanon whom are out of jobs. Waste of money and resources this STL.

VINCENT over 11 years

Sir, with all due respect, the Lebanon's and your weakness fuels and becomes Israeli tool.

helicopter over 11 years

According to the perpetrators, the so called victims are the ones who engineered the crimes because they stand to benefit from it (such as Saad removing his father to inherit the wealth and power "he hired abou a3das to commit the crime for him", or LF to kill Pierre so they gain the upper hand).

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Snsp? No?

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Assad hardan has a nice past... So why not include him?...

imagine_1979 over 11 years

And sorry not all snsp there is good guys there like anywhere else (yes even in hezbollah, or at least i hope..) but assaad hardan and co should be on ur list no?

primesuspect over 11 years

Sure,but I named the big shots :)

cedars2 over 11 years

Thank you for that Southern, should I switch the TV off now? You are obviously more knowledgeable in the workings of the tribunal...

ice-man over 11 years

Southern: Have you ever traveled outside Dahiyeh to see how normal civilized people live?

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Sagh go look for iranian islamic revolution courts it is far better than STL...
Plus one for the effort man, again bravo...

sevilla over 11 years

Dying a natural death has become a privilege in Lebanon. How true!

sevilla over 11 years

The concepts of fair trial, justice, and the truth are alien to ignorant sectarians like Southern and his likes.

imagine_1979 over 11 years

To be honest i don't really think that southern is sectarian, i think that it is a guy who is hearing the same anti imperialist/zionist/takfiri speech everyday so he is unable or doesnot really want to look beyond... U know most of our compatriots refuse to think out the box, even on march 14 side, anyway justice is on its way and that must be good news for all, no impunity, only way to start thinking to build our country...
Once again i might be wrong...

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Yes STL is a comedy, they should have gone to an islamic iranian revolution gards court; there it would have been such a fair trial...
I hvnot proposed a syrian court bc usualy they comit suicide in syria (and even one week before being released like the uk doctor who was jailed in assad's jail for a year and one week before liberty he just comitted suicide...) bravo man, plus one for u, anyway STL is on, justice is on its way....

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Assafir? Well it is the same if i told u al moustaqbal did a survay showing.. Man please get real..
There is CIA everywhere so trust only baathists/iranian... Ok
Hariri gov felt (officially) for false witnesees, so where are them? Anyway we'll see what the trial has to say on that and if he based accusations on that..
Judges have the right to quit for personal/security reasons...
Anywy southern it is on now, lets watch and see...

imagine_1979 over 11 years

Thank u southern, really... What a great advice..
Sorry for trying to have a constructive chat..
Plus one for ur efforts anyway...

Marc over 11 years

عندما نجد من الذي اغتال الحريري، سنعرف من الذي اختطف البلد ونفذ جميع عمليات القتل في
لبنان. علينا ان نسمح للعدالة ان تأخذ مجراها ودعونا نرى الأدلة التي ستعرضها المحكمة في الأسابيع القادمة

Sit back, relax and enjoy the show