| | | Date: Sep 24, 2019 | | Source: The Daily Star |  |  |  |
| | STL orders alternative service of Ayyash indictment | BEIRUT: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon Tuesday ordered an alternative service of Salim Ayyash’s indictment for the assassination attempts of former ministers Marwan Hamadeh and Elias Murr and the murder of George Hawi.
STL President Ivana Hrdlickova ordered that Ayyash’s indictment be made in an alternative manner, “including through public advertisement,” a statement from the tribunal said.
Hrdlickova ordered a form of public advertisement to be sent to Lebanese authorities, which is responsible to notify the public of the indictment and call on Ayyash to surrender.
If Ayyash is not under the tribunal’s authority within 30 days from the start of the advertisement, “the pretrial judge shall ask the trial chamber to initiate proceedings in absentia,” the tribunal said.
Ayyash’s indictment, made public last week, along with his arrest warrant have been sent to the Lebanese authorities, who, the tribunal said, “have an obligation to search for, arrest and transfer the accused to the STL’s custody.”
“The Lebanese authorities have the continuing obligation to search for, serve, arrest and detain Mr. Ayyash, and to transfer him to the seat of the tribunal,” the organization said Tuesday.
Hrdlickova’s order “follows the president’s finding that reasonable attempts have been made by the Lebanese authorities to effect personal service on the accused in this case, and those efforts have been unsuccessful to date.”
Ayyash has been charged with committing terrorist acts, the intentional homicide of Hawi and others, and the attempted intentional homicide of Hamadeh, Murr and 17 others.
He and three other defendants, Assad Sabra, Hussein Oneissi and Hassan Merhi are currently being tried for their alleged involvement in the 2005 attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others. The four defendants are known to be members of Hezbollah, but they are on trial as individuals. Hezbollah as an organization has not been indicted for the bombing. |
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