Special Tribunal for Lebanon President Judge Ivana Hrdličková told Naharnet in an interview carried out in Beirut that the contempt cases against Al Jadeed TV and Al Akhbar newspaper do not aim to target the media or journalists in Lebanon, saying anyone involved in contempt should be held responsible. She also stressed the impartiality and independence of the Court’s work, saying the STL is not influenced by political interference.

Here is the full text of the interview:

The Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daryl Mundis, concluded an official visit to Beirut, the last for the year 2015, announced the tribunal on Friday.

Mundis met with key interlocutors in Lebanon, as well as representatives of the diplomatic community.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Norman Farrell concluded on Thursday a four-day working visit to Lebanon, during which he held meetings with judicial representatives, other Lebanese officials, diplomats, and the Prosecutor’s staff in the Beirut office.

He met with Minister of Telecommunications Butros Harb, Minister of Justice Ashraf Rifi, and Prosecutor General Judge Samir Hammoud.

The Amicus Curiae Prosecutor for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Kenneth Scott, announced on Tuesday that he will appeal the decisions of the Contempt Judge acquitting Ms. Karma Khayat on Count 1 of Judge David Baragwanath’s Order in Lieu of Indictment and acquitting the company al-Jadeed S.A.L. on both Count 1 and Count 2.

“While we are waiting for the Judge's written decision, we anticipate also appealing the sentence,” the Amicus Curiae Prosecutor stated.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Contempt Judge Nicola Lettieri on Monday sentenced al-Jadeed TV deputy chief editor Karma Khayat to a fine of 10,000 euros on charges of “interfering with the administration of justice” by failing to remove online content on alleged witnesses.

After hearing the arguments of the Amicus Curiae Prosecutor, or Friend of the Court, and the Defense lawyer, Lettieri said he sentenced Khayat to “a fine of €10,000 to be paid in full by 30 October, 2015.”

Unknown assailants opened fire at dawn Saturday at al-Jadeed television building in Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported.

NNA said the incident took place around 2:30 am.

The contempt case of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon against Al-Jadeed S.A.L. and Karma Khayat is not unprecedented because international criminal courts and tribunals have rules under which persons can be held responsible for contempt.

At the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, for example, there have been 25 such cases involving different kinds of prohibited behavior. Several individuals –including journalists - were convicted of knowingly and wilfully interfering with the administration of justice by disclosing confidential information about protected witnesses.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Friday found Karma Khayat guilty for the obstruction of justice by not abiding by calls to stop the publication of names of so-called witnesses in the trial of former Premier Rafik Hariri.

Contempt Judge Nicola Lettieri found both Khayat and Al-Jadeed S.A.L. “not guilty with respect to the charges under count 1 of the order in lieu of indictment,” said the court.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Norman Farrell has said that the court has been investigating the attacks on MP Marwan Hamadeh, the former head of the communist party, George Hawi, and ex-Defense Minister Elias Murr.

Farrell told As Safir daily published on Tuesday that in addition to ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's murder, the STL is “working on” the assassination attempt against Hamadeh in October 2004, the killing of Hawi in June 2005 and the attempted murder of Murr in July the same year.

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.