Secretary-General Acknowledges that Special Tribunal for Lebanon Has Handed

 

Over Arrest Warrants, Calls for Support of Independent Judicial Process

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has confirmed that an indictment, accompanied by arrest warrants, was delivered this morning to the Prosecutor General to the Supreme Court in Lebanon, Mr. [Naveed Rasul] Mirza.  While the delivery of the indictment and warrants has been publicized, their contents have not been shared with the United Nations.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an independent court of law established at the request of the Government of Lebanon, with a clear mandate from the United Nations Security Council pursuant to its resolution 1757 (2007).  Under resolution 1757, the Lebanese authorities are required to locate, arrest, detain and transfer the accused persons to the Tribunal.

The Secretary-General reiterates his strong support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and for its efforts to uncover the truth and send a message that impunity will not be tolerated.   He calls on all States to support the independent judicial process, in particular by cooperating with the Special Tribunal in the execution of the indictment and arrest warrants.  The Secretary-General expects the new Government of Lebanon to uphold all of Lebanon's international obligations and to cooperate with the Special Tribunal.

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For information media • not an official record