The Hague: Europe and the Arabs
United Nations spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said that the Secretary-General took note of the closure of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon yesterday, Sunday, December 31, 2023. According to what was stated in the daily news bulletin issued by the United Nations.
In a statement attributed to the UN spokesman, the Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed his sympathy with the victims of the February 14, 2005 attack and related attacks and their families.
The Special Court was established following the issuance of Security Council Resolution No. 1757 in 2007 to try those responsible for the attack that occurred in central Beirut and led to the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, among 22 other people, and the wounding of 226 others. The Special Court's jurisdiction was also extended to include other attacks that were judicially identified as "linked" to the attack of February 14, 2005.
The Special Court held proceedings in absentia and convicted three people – Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Marhi, and Hussein Hassan Oneissi – and sentenced them to five concurrent life sentences.
The Secretary-General expressed his deep appreciation for the dedication and hard work of the judges and staff of the Special Court over the years and for the support provided by the Government of Lebanon, the Government of the Netherlands as the host State and donor Member States, including those that participated in the Special Court Management Committee.