Ban condemns attack on Hariri Tribunal staff as "unacceptable"

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 29 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Thursday condemned the assault the day before in Beirut on three investigators from the UN-backed Tribunal set up to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, and called it "unacceptable," his press office said in a statement.
Ban " is deeply concerned by recent statements and events related to the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). He condemned the incident on Wednesday, 27 October, involving a team of investigators from the Prosecutor's Office. Such acts of interference and intimidation are unacceptable," the statement said. Ban said 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. It is an important tool to uncover the truth and end impunity." He called on all parties to refrain from interfering in its work, which proceeds in accordance with the legal principles and standards applied by all international tribunals, and from prejudging its outcome.
He stressed that it is "imperative that the Special Tribunal carry out its work safely and securely," and commended the Lebanese authorities for their swift action in opening an inquiry into the incident.
The Hague-based Tribunal has also condemned the attack, pledging that it will not deter its investigation.
"Those who carried out this attack must know that violence will not deter the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a court of law, from fulfilling its mandate, " the court said in a statement distributed here.
Two investigators from the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal and their interpreter were attending a pre-arranged meeting at a doctor's office in Beirut as part of the investigation when a large group of people "showed up unexpectedly" and violently attacked the three staff. According to the Office of the Prosecutor, several items belonging to the staff were stolen during the attack. The Lebanese army extracted the three staff members and brought them back safely to the Tribunal's office in Beirut where they were provided with medical attention. The investigation of the murders is being carried out under the guidance of the Tribunal's Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian prosecutor. One day after the incident, Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah called on the Lebanese people and officials to boycott the work of the Tribunal and not to cooperate with its investigators. (end) sj.mt KUNA 291011 Oct 10NNNN