As the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is set to kick off trial in former late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination on March 25, names and personal information relating to individuals, whose testimonies will allegedly shore up the prosecution's stance and therefore the tribunal's indictment, were leaked.
In past years, media outlets have revealed much of the internal proceedings of the case, publishing leaked documents from both the investigation and the STL. According to former Minister of Justice Professor Ibrahim Najjar, these leaks aim at tainting the tribunal's credibility and impeding its function, given that its code stipulates oral testimonies meaning that a witness may have to go to the Hague.
Recently, the STL's prosecution and defense departments have exchanged documents which raises questions about the identity of the leaker.
According to Najjar, it has been concluded that everything related to the STL's work is subject to distortion and disruption; nonetheless, nothing will affect the course of international justice.
In a telephone conversation with MTV, Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef refused to comment on the leaks' content, asserting that the tribunal will deal very seriously with any leak attempt aiming at undermining the court's credibility. Youssef pointed out that any internal leak will subject violators to legal prosecution.
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