In 2007, Security Council resolution 1757 created the Special Tribunal, which had the authority to investigate other attacks that were found to be related to the 14 February 2005 attack in Beirut.

The assassination of Mr. Hariri involved explosives equivalent to 2,500 to 3,000 kilograms of dynamite, detonated as his motorcade travelled across downtown Beirut and left behind an 11-metre-wide crater.

Independent tribunal

The independent tribunal, established in 2009, was located outside of The Hague in the Netherlands and consisted of both Lebanese and international judges. It tried individuals under Lebanese law, but was not affiliated with Lebanon’s justice system or the UN tribunal.

In 2020, Salim Jamil Ayyash was found guilty by the Special Tribunal for his involvement in the 2005 attack and was sentenced to five life sentences. However, in 2022, the tribunal overturned its previous decision to acquit Hassan Habib Merhi and Hussein Hassan Oneissi, finding them both guilty.

The whereabouts of all three men are still unknown.

2,641-page-long judgment

The official documentation for the trial included testimonies from 297 individuals and 3,135 pieces of evidence, spanning over 171,000 pages. In order to make the 2,641-page judgment more accessible to the public, a summary was published on the chamber’s website in Arabic, English, and French.

The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, stated on Saturday night that the thoughts of the Secretary-General are with the victims and their families of the attack on February 14, 2005 and the related attacks that followed.

The Secretary-General conveyed his profound gratitude for the commitment and efforts of the judges and personnel at the Special Tribunal over the years. He also acknowledged the assistance from the Government of Lebanon, the Government of the Netherlands as the hosting country, and the Member State donors.

Source: news.un.org