Madi Meets Von Hebel: We'll Probe Alleged List of Witnesses Once STL Asks

State Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi on Friday announced that the Lebanese judiciary will take legal steps concerning the recent publishing of an alleged list of witnesses in the case of former premier Rafik Hariri once the Special Tribunal for Lebanon asks for that.

“Once we receive a request from the STL on the publishing of the names of alleged secret witnesses, we will make all the steps needed to identify the side that published the names,” Madi said after a meeting with STL Registrar Herman von Hebel.

The prosecutor said he has asked the Criminal Investigations Department to act and that he has provided it with a copy of the published list.

Madi noted that those mentioned in the list can file lawsuits against the publishers.

According to state-run National News Agency, von Hebel asked Madi for steps by the Lebanese judiciary and the prosecutor told him that the Lebanese authorities are ready to act once the STL sends an official request.

Separately, von Hebel informed Madi that he will leave the STL to join the International Criminal Court.

The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon 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 Rafik 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 court said those behind the website “purporting to unveil the 'truth', are in grave breach of journalistic ethics and employ questionable methods such as Internet hacking.”

“Any attempt to knowingly and willfully interfere with the judicial process, including disclosure of confidential material or threatening, intimidating, or otherwise interfering with potential witnesses, is taken very seriously by the four organs of the Tribunal,” the STL warned.

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.”

“While there are measures currently being undertaken by the Tribunal in response to the website that purports to name alleged witnesses, discussing those measures in public could hinder our efforts,” said the STL.