STL: Partial Loss for the Prosecution and Partial Victory for Jadeed, Khayat

Leidschendam, Naharnet Exclusive:

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is awaiting the legal response of the involved parties on the verdict it issued last Friday in the contempt case raised by the “Friend of the Court” or Amicus Curiae against al-Jadeed S.A.L. and the station's deputy chief editor Karma Khayat.

Sources closely following up the tribunal's work said that the station has gone out of the circle of threat after the Contempt Judge, Nicola Lettieri, cleared it of charges of contempt for publishing details of witnesses in the trial of the alleged killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

But the sources believe that the confrontation between the court and al-Jadeed might take a new turn after the STL was surprised by unexpected efforts exerted by the station to find a legal way to prosecute the “Friend of the Court” for slander and defamation.

As for Khayat, the sources expected the journalist to appeal the verdict issued against her over her insistence to confront the court politically, legally and through the media based on her conviction that the STL cannot put limits on freedom of expression.

Khayat was on Friday cleared of one charge of contempt, but was found guilty of obstruction of justice for failing to remove the broadcast from the TV's website and social media as ordered.

Her lawyers are now studying the appropriate time to appeal the ruling either before September 28 when the judge is expected to issue the sentence against her or after that date.

The supporters of the “Friend of the Court,” Kenneth Scott, who emerged partly victorious from the contempt judge's decision, are meanwhile advising him to let go of any thought to appeal the verdict.

As for the third party involved in the case, which is the STL in general, it can now benefit from the verdict that was issued last Friday to consolidate its credibility and drop all charges made against it of being politicized and biased because it has left the “Friend of the Court” partly disappointed in confronting the tribunal's political and media opponents.