Current:Home > BackUN chief closes tribunal founded to investigate 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister-LoTradeCoin
UN chief closes tribunal founded to investigate 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister
View Date:2024-12-23 23:01:46
BEIRUT (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has closed an international tribunal that was created to investigate the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the U.N. chief’s spokesperson said Sunday.
Over the years, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon held in absentia proceedings and found three members of the militant Hezbollah group guilty in connection with Hariri’s death in a massive Feb. 14, 2005 truck bombing.
The tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands, sentenced the three — Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi and Hussein Hassan Oneissi - to five concurrent sentences of life imprisonment.
Hezbollah officials have repeatedly denied that members of the group were involved in the suicide attack and refused to deal with the tribunal. The bombing killed Hariri and 21 others, and wounded 226.
The trial judges had said there was no evidence Hezbollah’s leadership or Syria were involved in the attack but noted the assassination happened as Hariri and his political allies were discussing whether to call for Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Sunday that the Special Tribunal was established to try those responsible for the attack following the adoption of a 2007 Security Council resolution. The tribunal’s jurisdiction also extended to other attacks that were judicially determined to be “connected” to Hariri’s assassination.
At the beginning of 2023, Guterres extended the panel’s mandate until Dec. 31 “for the limited purpose of completion of the non-judicial residual functions” and “for the orderly closure of the Special Tribunal.” The secretary-general noted Sunday that those tasks had been accomplished and the tribunal shut down, Guterres said.
“The secretary-general expresses his deep appreciation for the dedication and hard work of the judges and staff at the Special Tribunal throughout the years,” Dujarric said. He added that Guterres also appreciated the support provided by the Lebanese government, the government of the Netherlands as the host state, and member states that participated in the tribunal’s management committee.
veryGood! (15473)
Related
- Moana 2 Star Dwayne Johnson Shares the Empowering Message Film Sends to Young Girls
- North Carolina Republicans put exclamation mark on pivotal annual session with redistricting maps
- Emily in Paris Costars Ashley Park and Paul Forman Spark Romance Rumors With Cozy Outing
- 1 of 4 men who escaped from a central Georgia jail has been caught, authorities say
- LSU leads college football Week 11 Misery Index after College Football Playoff hopes go bust
- Alone in car, Michigan toddler dies from gunshot wound that police believe came from unsecured gun
- Houston-area deputy indicted on murder charge after man fatally shot following shoplifting incident
- Man who allegedly killed Maryland judge found dead
- Daniele Rustioni to become Metropolitan Opera’s principal guest conductor
- North Carolina Republicans put exclamation mark on pivotal annual session with redistricting maps
Ranking
- Where you retire could affect your tax bill. Here's how.
- Big bucks, bright GM, dugout legend: How Rangers' 'unbelievable year' reached World Series
- Billboard Music Awards 2023 Finalists: See the Complete List
- Darius Miles, ex-Alabama basketball player, denied dismissal of capital murder charge
- World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
- Pedro Argote, suspect in killing of Maryland judge, found dead
- Israel-Hamas war upends years of conventional wisdom. Leaders give few details on what comes next
- Norfolk Southern investing in automated inspection systems on its railroad to improve safety
Recommendation
-
Worker trapped under rubble after construction accident in Kentucky
-
Northwestern State football cancels 2023 season after safety Ronnie Caldwell's death
-
Captured albino python not the 'cat-eating monster' Oklahoma City community thought
-
Jay-Z talks 'being a beacon,' settles $500K or lunch with him debate
-
Shocked South Carolina woman walks into bathroom only to find python behind toilet
-
Feeling the pinch of high home insurance rates? It's not getting better anytime soon
-
Twitter takeover: 1 year later, X struggles with misinformation, advertising and usage decline
-
National Air Races get bids for new home in California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming