UN chief Guterres urges Lebanon to respect Hariri killing judgement

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Lebanese authorities to accept the judgement of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
• Two members of Hezbollah were sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri.
• The former Lebanese PM was killed by a suicide bomber on the Beirut beachfront.

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged authorities in Beirut to accept the judgement of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which sentenced two members of Hezbollah to life in prison on Thursday for their involvement in the 2005 attack that killed former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Hariri was killed by a suicide bomber who struck his armoured convoy on the Beirut beachfront on February 14, 2005. The explosion killed 21 individuals and injured 226.

After over 30 years of military presence in Lebanon, the attack sparked countrywide protests that led to the withdrawal of Syrian forces.

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The prosecution challenged the acquittal, and both men were convicted of guilt in March.

In their absence, all three individuals were tried, convicted, and condemned. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, does not accept the court’s authority and refuses to hand them over. Thus, they remain at large and are unlikely to spend any jail time.

Guterres stated that his “thoughts are with the victims and families of the tragedy on February 14.”

He also expressed his “deep appreciation for the dedication and hard work of the judges and staff involved in this case throughout the years.”

Noting the “independence and impartiality” of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, he urged the Lebanese government to “respect the Tribunal’s decision.”

Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for the United Nations in New York, told an international news agency that they “welcomed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s progress and work, and we feel that the people of Lebanon deserve justice on this issue.”

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Eventually, four of the accused were convicted in absentia, and Assad Sabra was acquitted.