STL

Bulletin
April-May 2014
The STL Bulletin provides a monthly overview of the latest judicial developments, news, and visits to the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. It is one of a number of publications produced by the Tribunal. You can read them all at
http://www.stl-tsl.org/en/media.

Judicial developments
10 April Status Conference
On 10 April 2014, the Trial Chamber of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) held a Status Conference
in the Ayyash et al. case.
During the conference, Defence counsel for Mr
Badreddine updated the court on cooperation between
Lebanon and the STL. The Defence is seeking call data
records for the period between 2004 and 2006. Counsel
for Mr Badreddine said that the responses recently
received from the two mobile telecommunications
companies operating in Lebanon were, in their view,
unsatisfactory.
At the Status Conference Trial Chamber Presiding
Judge Re ordered counsel for Hassan Habib Merhi to
file their Pre-Trial Brief by 26 May 2014.
Counsel for Merhi filed their Pre-Trial Brief on 26 May. It
can be found here.

The transcript of the hearing can be found here.

12 May Status Conference

On 12 May, the Trial Chamber held another Status
Conference in the Ayyash et al. case. The hearing covered
the resumption of trial and Lebanons cooperation with
the STL.
On the cooperation with Lebanon, the Trial Chamber
stated that if Lebanon does not have in its possession
the material the Sabra Defence is requesting, it should
communicate this to the STL.
On the resumption of trial, the Prosecution provided
an overview of how they will continue the presentation
of the first part of their case. Co-counsel for Mr Merhi
stated that the Merhi case is large and complex and that
this is exacerbated by the in absentia circumstances of
the case.
The Trial Chamber issued an oral ruling during the
hearing, setting the date for the resumption of trial Wednesday 18 June. The Prosecutors opening statement
of the case against Mr Merhi will be scheduled for 18

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June. Counsel for Mr Merhi may then, if they choose,

make their own opening statement.

The initial appearances of Ibrahim Al Amin and Akhbar

Beirut S.A.L. were originally scheduled on the same day,
but were postponed until 29 May upon the request of
Mr Al Amin, who asked for additional time to select
legal counsel.

Counsel for Mr Merhi has filed an interlocutory appeal

to the oral ruling on the date of the resumption of trial.
Counsel said that the date of 18 June is unreasonable and
undermines the integrity of the proceedings. For reasons
including the right of the Accused to a fair trial, they request
for trial to resume at a date later than 30September 2014.

Al Amin appeared on 29 May via video-link from the

Tribunals Beirut office. He represented both himself
and Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. In a brief statement, Al
Amin informed the Tribunal that he will remain silent
throughout the proceedings and that he refuses to
appoint a lawyer to represent him. The Contempt Judge
interpreted these comments as a plea of not guilty. The
Contempt Judge ordered the Head of the Defence
Office to assign counsel to the Accused, adding that he
will issue a written decision to provide his reasoning for
this order.

The Trial Chamber will then sit on a reduced basis of

several days a week until the judicial recess in July, to
allow Mr Merhis counsel more time to prepare. The
Trial Chamber will re-assess this sitting schedule in July.

STL issues summons to appear in contempt cases

The STL has charged two journalists and two media
organisations with contempt. Karma Mohamed Tahsin
al Khayat from Al Jadeed TV, as well as the stations
parent company New TV S.A.L., have been summoned
to appear before the STL on two counts of Contempt
and Obstruction of Justice. Ibrahim Mohamed Al
Amin from Al Akhbar, as well as the newspapers parent
company Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. have been summoned
on one count of Contempt and Obstruction of Justice.

The transcript of the initial appearances of Ibrahim Al

Amin and Akhbar Beirut S.A.L. can be found here.
For more information on the contempt cases click here.

Other judicial developments

The STL issued new arrest warrants for the Accused
in the Ayyash et al. case, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Mustafa
Amine Badreddine, Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein
Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra, following the
Prosecutions submission of a consolidated indictment.
The Trial Chamber has now requested that the
Lebanese authorities act on these new arrest warrants.
International arrest warrants will also be provided to
Interpol for circulation in other countries. The charges
against the Accused remain the same.

TheAccusedare being charged under Rule 60 bis (A) of

the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and all the charges
relate to the Ayyash et al. case.
The initial appearances of Karma Mohamed Tahsin al
Khayat and New TV S.A.L were held on 13 May in
the presence of the lead counsel for both Accused, Mr
Karim Khan QC. Both Accused entered a plea of not
guilty.

For a concise summary of all judicial developments, please

refer to the Judicial Brief at http://www.stl-tsl.org/en/
media/judicial-brief.

Under Rule 131 of the Tribunals Rules of Procedure

and Evidence, the Contempt Judge has invited any State,
organisation or person to make written submissions on
the issue of the Tribunals jurisdiction in the case against
Karma Khayat and Al Jadeed TV by 16 June 2014.

The transcript of the initial appearance of New TV

S.A.L. can be found here, and that of Karma Khayat
here.

Document provided by the Public Information and Communications Section of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

News and Visits

News
On Thursday 15 May, a graduation ceremony was held
for 166 students who completed the Inter-University
Programme on International Criminal Law and
Procedure. The ceremony marks the end of the third
successful session of the Inter-University course, which
was launched in November 2011. The top 27 students
have been awarded with a four-day study trip to The
Hague, where they will visit international judicial
institutions based there.

Visits and Events

In April, the STL hosted groups of visitors from The
Hague University, Webster University, the Haute cole
Libre Mosane in Lige and the London School of
Economics.
In May, the STL hosted groups of visitors from
the Italian United Nations Youth Association, the
University of Vienna, the University of Genoa,
Hampshire College, and the University of Pavia. In
addition, representatives from the STL briefed students

taking part in the ICC Moot Court Competition at

The Hague campus of Leiden University. The STL also
hosted the Atrocity Crimes Litigation Year-in-Review
Conference, organised by Northwestern Law Schools
Center for Human Rights.
All the members of our group agreed that the speakers and
tour were certainly one of the highlights of the trip: it is very
different to read about the tribunals work and to hear about
it from experts within the very building it operates!
Visitor from the
London School of Economics

Visits to the Tribunal can be arranged for groups to provide

an insight into the work of the STL. Please fill in our
online booking form to request a group visit.

STL links
To access all STL filings, please refer to
http://www.stl-tsl.org/en/filings-all-cases
For job vacancies, please refer to
http://www.stl-tsl.org/en/jobs

www.stl-tsl.org
Dokter van der Stamstraat 1, 2265 BC Leidschendam, Netherlands PO Box 115, 2260 AC Leidschendam, Netherlands.
For more information please contact the Public Information and Communications Section: stl-pressoffice@un.org Tel : +31 (0) 70 800 3560 / 3828 and +961 4 538 100 (Beirut)
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