Saniora Urges Govt. to Crackdown on Sides that Released Names of Alleged STL Witnesses

Mustaqbal bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora condemned on Friday the release of the names and identities of alleged witnesses in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

He demanded in a statement “the government, officials, and justice minister to crackdown in those who leaked the names to media and who are practicing political and media terrorism.”

“Their actions are a crime aimed at obstructing justice and preventing the search for criminals” linked to the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, he added.

The release of the names of the alleged witnesses demonstrates that the perpetrators have not been deterred from continuing their crimes and that they are striving to cover them up, noted the former premier.

The U.N.-backed STL on Thursday condemned “in the strongest possible terms” what it called “the latest attempt to interfere with the proper administration of justice by publishing a list of alleged witnesses and potentially endangering the lives of Lebanese citizens.”

The website of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by slain ex-premier Hariri's family, was hacked on Tuesday and its front page was replaced with the alleged names of the “secret witnesses in the STL” by a group calling itself “Journalists for the Truth.” The list can also be found on the group's website.

“The list of persons that could be placed at risk by this irresponsible website is not, in fact, an accurate reflection of official court records,” the STL noted in a press release.

It confirmed that it has requested the assistance of “Lebanese authorities and others in this matter so that appropriate measures may be taken if necessary.”