The Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon hailed during a short visit to Beirut Lebanon's ongoing support for the court after he met with prominent Lebanese officials.

Daryl Mundis, who concluded an official visit to Beirut on Thursday, held talks with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Minister of Justice Ashraf Rifi, General Prosecutor Samir Hammoud, and the representatives of the diplomatic community.

Two people were arrested Thursday for using cameras near the residence of Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi in the northern city of Tripoli.

“Two people raised suspicions as they were taking pictures of the surroundings of Rifi's residence in Tripoli,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi vowed on Monday on the 16th anniversary of the murder of four Lebanese judges to stop perpetrators from “killing the truth” in the series of assassinations that targeted Lebanon in the past years.

“We won't allow anyone to assassinate our martyrs again by killing the truth,” Rifi said at the Justice Palace of the southern city of Sidon.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi considered as “traitor” anyone who fails to attend the parliamentary sessions aiming at electing a new head of state and fill-out the one year long vacuum.

“Anyone who does not take part in the sessions to elect a president is a traitor. The vacuum has created a huge gap in the political security umbrella,” said Rifi in a press interview on Saturday.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc described on Friday alleged threats by Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad against the movement's officials as an “aggression on civil peace,” saying they were a reflection of “terrorism” proliferating in the Middle East because of the party's main backer Iran.

Raad's threat to al-Mustaqbal Secretary General Ahmed Hariri and Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, “which is assault on civil peace, is the other face of the extremist and terrorist movements that are proliferating in the region because of the way Iran behaves and orders its followers,” the bloc said in a statement.

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed relief on Wednesday over the progress made in the case of the servicemen taken hostage by the al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front.

“There is an important and positive development in the case,” Berri was quoted as saying by his visitors in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper.

The spokesperson of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has said there was no direct contact with the court on efforts to refer to it the file of former Minister Michel Samaha, adding the issue required an agreement between the Lebanese government and the United Nations.

“I cannot comment on the statements made by politicians or officials,” Wajed Ramadan told As Safir daily published on Wednesday.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi announced that he is preparing to appeal the verdict against former Minister Michel Samaha, noting that the main problem with the sentence is linked to the structure of the Military Tribunal, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

He told the daily: “I am demanding an amendment to the regulations of the Tribunal, not its elimination.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Thursday the sentence issued by the military court against former Minister Michel Samaha.

“The court's verdict in Samaha's case legalizes assassinations and explosions,” he said in a statement.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi held talks in Turkey earlier this week with head of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Khaled Khoja on the case of the Lebanese servicemen held hostage since August by jihadists, reported the daily An Nahar on Friday.

The minister told the daily that he is seeking the support of the Syrian opposition to release the Lebanese captives.