Hariri tribunal against speculations

The prosecutor of a Washington-sponsored tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri has warned against any speculation into the indictment he has filed.

“Any speculation about the contents of the indictment would be counter-productive,” prosecutor Daniel Bellemare said in a video statement on Tuesday.

The remarks were made a day after the submission of the indictment that caused the collapse of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government and sparked a political crisis in the country.

“Confidentiality is essential as I cannot presume that the pre-trial judge will confirm the indictment. If it is confirmed, the content of the document will be made public in due course,” said Bellemare, who submitted his long-awaited indictment under wraps on Monday.

Unconfirmed reports have said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (SLT) will name some Hezbollah members in connection with the massive car bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others on the Beirut seafront in February 2005.

The court was created some two years later to look into the deadly incident.

Hezbollah, which withdrew from Hariri’s cabinet with its allies last Wednesday, warned that it would “defend” itself against the indictment, describing the tribunal as a “tool” in the hands of the United States and Israel.

The tribunal has sparked tensions that plunged the country into its worst political crisis since 2008.

It has also sparked fears of violence similar to that which brought the country to the brink of civil war in May 2008.