New Alternate Judge Assigned to STL Trial Chamber

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon announced on Wednesday the assignment of Judge Nicola Lettieri to the Trial Chamber, following his appointment last week by the U.N. Secretary-General as the new international alternate judge.

“President of the Tribunal (David Baragwanath) assigned Lettieri to the Trial Chamber of the STL,” a statement released by the STL said.

Judge Lettieri, who obtained a masters degree from the University of Naples in 1981, has extensive legal experience in international and domestic settings. He became an Advocate in 1985 before assuming his role as Junior Magistrate at the Court of Naples in 1986. In the period from 1987 until 2004, Judge Lettieri was Deputy Prosecutor at the Court of Naples, specializing in areas such as economic crimes, corruption and international terrorism.

Since 2010, Judge Lettieri has served as Deputy Attorney General at the Supreme Court of Cassation in Italy. As of 2011, he has held the post of a Legal Expert for the Italian Prime Minister in international legal affairs. In addition to these posts, Judge Lettieri has been an ad hoc judge at the European Court of Human Rights since 2010.

Judge Lettieri is awaiting the final approval from the Italian authorities before assuming his full-time duties at the STL.

Four suspects from Hizbullah will go on trial in absentia on Thursday, charged with the bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others in downtown Beirut.

The four suspects have been charged with nine counts, ranging from conspiracy to commit a terrorist act to homicide and attempted homicide.

A fifth suspect, Hassan Habib Merhi, 48, was indicted last year and his case may yet be joined to the current trial.

Hizbullah has denied responsibility for the attack, and its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has dismissed the tribunal as a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy, vowing that none of the suspects will be arrested.

He has vowed never to cooperate with the tribunal, saying that the suspects, who remain at large, will never be found.

Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive car bomb in Beirut on February 14, 2005.