Azouri to Challenge 2 Articles in Fransen Ruling on Releasing Documents to Sayyed

Akram Azouri, the defense attorney of former General Security chief Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, has sent an urgent request to Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen, asking him to define the procedures applicable to the filing of a challenge against two articles mentioned in his May 12 ruling, the Central News Agency reported Wednesday.

On May 12, Fransen ordered that STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare release more than 270 investigation documents to Sayyed.

"Fransen ruled that Mr. Sayyed would receive some of the documents in the possession of the STL Prosecutor very soon. A large majority of these will be disclosed to Mr. Sayyed, whilst others can only be inspected by his counsel," STL’s press office clarified in a communiqué.

Fransen also ruled that these documents can only be used for "legitimate purposes," the press office said, noting that the use of these documents "must respect the presumption of innocence, the right of the defense and the right to privacy of third parties."

Sayyed was one of four Lebanese generals detained by the Lebanese authorities in connection with the 2005 assassination of then prime minister Rafik Hariri and others. He was released in April 2009, just weeks after the establishment of the STL, following an order by Fransen.

Sayyed has claimed that he was wrongly detained by the Lebanese authorities on the basis of libelous denunciations. He had asked the STL for access to some investigation documents so that he can pursue civil claims in national courts.

Fransen has ordered the Prosecutor to file a report by June 13th that explains how he has completed the obligations required in the ruling, according to STL’s press office.