Rafik Hariri
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Gemayel: Lebanon Cannot Support Arab Revolts while it is Victim of Illegitimate Arms

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stated on Tuesday that the spirit of slain former Premier Rafik Hariri has returned with the wave of Arab revolts and with the release of the indictment in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

He asked: “Is it logical for us to back Arabs revolting against their regimes and accept that the Lebanese remain captive to the illegitimate arms?”

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STL Protocol Expected to be Renewed without Lebanon’s Remarks

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon cooperation protocol is expected to pass automatically without any local fuss on the issue amid the cabinet’s impasse, according to newspapers published on Monday.

The Lebanese authorities will not submit any comments on U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s decision to extend the mandate of the court probing the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, sources told As Safir newspaper.

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Hariri’s Murder Anniversary to be Marked by Announcement of Alliance with Syrian Opposition

The opposition March 14 coalition will mark on Tuesday the 7th anniversary of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination at a gathering of politicians, diplomats, activists and academicians that will be held in BIEL.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is recuperating at his house in Paris from fractures in his leg, will make a speech through a giant screen at the event that starts at 4:00 pm.

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Jumblat: Lebanon Has Failed in Ending Oppression against Syrian People

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Monday Lebanon’s position on the Arab League decision on Syria, saying that it had failed the Syrian people.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “Lebanon shied away from its political, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities towards ending oppression against the Syrian people when it voiced reservations on the Arab League decision.”

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Miqati: Bellemare Will Release Updated Version of Hariri Indictment

Prime Minister Najib Miqati ruled out on Monday the return of political assassinations in Lebanon, saying that any leads in this matter are being tackled by the concerned security authorities.

He told LBC television that will be broadcast later on Monday: “Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare informed me that he will release an updated version of the indictment in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.”

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Feb. 14 Speeches to Focus on Local, Syrian Situation

The speeches that will be made at the February 14 ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri will primarily focus on local developments and then Syrian crisis, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

It added that it remains to be seen which members of the Syrian National Council will give a speech at the event, which will be held at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center.

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Marten Youssef Says Prosecutor Can Refer Indictment to Pre-Trial Judge Discreetly

Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on Thursday that Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare could refer a new indictment secretly to Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen without revealing its context.

“The court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence give the prosecutor two ways to refer an indictment to the pre-trial judge either discreetly, or he can refer it without revealing its context (to the public),” Youssef told An Nahar newspaper.

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Schools, Public Institutions to Close on Hariri Assassination Anniversary

Prime Minister Najib Miqati ordered on Wednesday the closure of public and private institutions and schools on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14.

The March 14 leadership decided to mark the anniversary on Tuesday at the Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center.

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STL Judges Discuss Amendments to Rules of Procedure and Evidence

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judges are meeting on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss amendments to the court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the STL said.

“The Judges of the STL are meeting today and tomorrow to discuss a number of proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, as well as other issues relating to the work of the Tribunal,” the STL said in a terse statement.

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Saniora Discusses with Suleiman Army’s Controversial Deployment in North

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Saniora revealed on Wednesday that he discussed with President Michel Suleiman a day earlier the controversial deployment of the Lebanese army in northern areas bordering Syria.

“We discussed a lot of issues, including the government (crisis), the situation in the region, the economy, the deployment of the army in the North, the security situation and (verbal) attacks on the president and the premier,” Saniora told An Nahar daily.

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