STL Bulletin September 2012

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Judicial developments in the

Ayyash et al. case
This case relates to the attack on the
former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq
Hariri and others on 14 February 2005.
Preparation for trial:
The tentative date of 25 March 2013 was
set for trial by the Pre-Trial Judge in July.
On 27 September, the Defence teams
submitted to the Pre-Trial Judge a joint
motion for urgent orders regarding trial
preparation. In their motion, they
requested that the Pre-Trial Judge set a
number of deadlines related to disclosure
and testimony by the Prosecution. A
status conference was also held on 28
September to ensure the expeditious
preparation for trial.
Important dates:
1 October 2012 - The Appeals Chamber held a
hearing on the Tribunals jurisdiction.
15 November 2012 The Office of the
Prosecutor must submit the pre-trial brief,
which is their case theory, to the Pre-Trial
Judge.
25 March 2013 - The tentative date for the
start of trial.

whose status as victims participating in

the proceedings was recognized in a
decision of the Pre-Trial Judge in May
2012.
Jurisdiction and legality:
Defence counsel have appealed a ruling
by the Trial Chamber (dated 27 July) that
confirmed the Tribunals legality and
jurisdiction over the 14 February attack.
On 14 September, the Prosecutor filed a
consolidated response to the Defence
appeals. On 19 September, counsel for
Mr. Badreddine filed a reply to the
Prosecutors consolidated response and
on the same date, the Legal
Representative for Victims filed his
observations. A public hearing was held
on 1 October to allow the Defence to
present challenges to the Tribunal's
jurisdiction.
Indictment:
On 18 September, the Prosecutor filed a
request to the Pre-Trial Judge to amend
the indictment. The amendments do not
include new charges or accused.

Victims:

In absentia:

On 4 September, the Pre-Trial Judge

granted nine additional persons the
status of victims participating in the
proceedings. The nine victims will form
part of the existing group of 58 victims

Appeals were also filed by the Defence

teams against the Decision on
Reconsideration of the Trial in Absentia
decision (dated 1 February 2012). The
Defence counsel argue that in absentia

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trials are a violation of human rights and

that the accused were not properly
notified of the charges against them.
Cooperation:
The Defence teams filed a motion on 27
September, seeking the cooperation of
Lebanon. In their motion, the Defence
counsel stated that the Lebanese
authorities have not yet provided certain
documents and other information that
the Defence is seeking in order to prepare
its case.

Other:
Mr. John Jones, co-counsel for Mustafa
Badreddine and a dual United
States/United Kingdom citizen, requested
clarification on 18 September from the
STLs President as to whether he can
continue to represent Mr. Badreddine
after US authorities imposed sanctions on
that accused. The United States
authorities issued a license required for
Mr. Jones to continue to represent Mr.
Badreddine on 20 September.

Please refer to http://www.stl-tsl.org/en/the-cases/stl-11-01/main, to access all filings in

relation to the Ayyash et al. case.

Events and visits

STL President addresses Tripoli Bar Association
Judge Sir David Baragwanath addressed members of the Tripoli Bar Association via video
conference. Judge Baragwanath spoke about the responsibilities and challenges faced by
Judges, and the differences between judging at the national and international levels. He also
highlighted the independence of the judiciary and Judges' important role as servants of the
community.
Visits
Students from The Hague University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands), Washington
University (US) and Webster University (the Netherlands) visited the Tribunal during the
month of September. A group of Spanish magistrates also visited the Tribunal and met STL
judges. The STL welcomes visits of students, professionals and the general public.
Please fill in our online booking form to request a group visit.
Other:
Court records search launch
As part of its continuous efforts to improve the website, the STL is introducing a Court
records search, which will help you find any of the Tribunal's public court documents. More
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