Lebanon reported to STL. No progress on arrest warrants

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) issued a statement Tuesday that Lebanese authorities submitted a report to the tribunal on the measures taken to apprehend and hand over the four men indicted by the tribunal for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

“Prosecutor General Said Mirza submitted his report today. He stated that so far none of the four people who are accused has been detained,” a statement on the STL’s website said.

“STL President Judge Antonio Cassese, will now consider the report carefully and will in due course make a determination on the next steps.

The Iranian and Syrian -backed Hezbollah brought down PM Saad Hariri’s government on January 12 over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) imminent indictment.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued the indictments and arrest warrants in the assassination of Lebanon’s former PM Hariri on June 30. Two of the suspects Mustafa Badreddine and Salim Ayyash are reportedly senior members of Hezbollah and played leading roles in the assassination while the other two Hezbollah members Hassan Aneissy, also known as Hassan Issa, and Assad Sabra played a supporting role in the execution of the assassination.

Lebanon had 30 days to find and arrest the suspects but Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said on July 2 that the party would not cooperate with the tribunal.

“No Lebanese government will be able to carry out any arrests whether in 30 days, 30 years or even 300 years.”