STL Trial Chamber Calls for Submissions on in Absentia Proceedings

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon's Trial Chamber has issued a scheduling order, which requests written submissions relating to in absentia proceedings from the Office of the Prosecutor and each of the accused, said the STL in a statement.

“Since the accused have not yet appointed counsel the Trial Chamber has also asked the STL’s Defense Office to file submissions,” it added.

The deadline for all written submissions is November 2, 2011, it continued.

A public hearing will be held by the Trial Chamber at 10:00 on November 11, 2011, it stated.

“Journalists will be sent details of the accreditation process for that hearing in the coming days,” said the statement.

The scheduling order follows a request by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen for the Trial Chamber to make a determination whether in absentia proceedings should be initiated, it concluded.

On Thursday, General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza submitted a monthly report to a STL delegation on efforts to search for the four suspects accused of being involved the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

In July, the STL issued arrest warrants against four Hizbullah members accusing them of being involved in the assassination.

Lebanese authorities had 30 days to apprehend them, but they failed in their mission and the suspects remain at large.