STL to hold hearing on the fifth accused

The trial chamber of the Sepcial Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will hold a joint hearing on Tuesday, 11 February, to hear legal submissions from the prosecution and defence counsel for the four accused Ayyash, Badreddine, Merhi, Oneissi and Sabra, on the possible joinder of the case against a fifth accused Hassan Habib Merhi to the proceedings. A statement by the STL in Leidschendam, the Netherlands, today said this follows a preliminary hearing on 14 January in which the Trial Chamber heard from the Prosecution and counsel for Merhi about the possibility of joining both cases. During the hearing, the Trial Chamber expects pleadings from the parties about the legal impediments of joining the cases, and its potential impact upon the progress of the trial. On 31 July 2013, the STL Pre-Trial Judge confirmed the indictment submitted by the prosectuor against Merhi. This was made pulbic in October last year. On 20 December 2013, the Trial Chamber issued a decision to try Merhi in absentia. On 30 December 2013, the Prosecution filed an application to the Trial Chamber to join the two cases. On 16 January, the trial started of the four accused in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in Beirut in February 2005. Source: KUNA