Middle East News
UN court holds technical hearing, Hariri indictment remains secret
Feb 7, 2011, 10:47 GMT
The Hague - The opening of a United Nations trial on the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri drew closer Monday following a technical hearing in The Hague.
The hearing, held before Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) President Antonio Cassese, allowed prosecutor David Bellemare and the defence office to discuss the definition of terrorism and other legal issues.
Bellemare issued a draft indictment on January 17, but its content has remained confidential.
The indictment is widely believed to target members of the Shiite militant Hezbollah.
Speaking at the hearing, Bellemare insisted that the indictment remains 'secret and few people have read it.'
The STL was set up 2007 to try suspects in the Hariri murder.
The probe into Hariri's assassination has caused political turmoil in Lebanon and the fall last month of the national unity government headed by Hariri's son, Saad.
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