UN court issues Hariri warrants

30 June 2011 Last updated at 14:54 GMT Rafik Hariri is widely credited with getting Lebanon back on its feet after the 15-year civil war Four arrest warrants have been issued by the UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Lebanon's state prosecutor said.

Hariri's son, Saad, welcomed the indictments and described them as a "historic moment" for Lebanon.

Local reports say the warrants name senior members of the Shia militant and political group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has repeatedly denounced the tribunal and vowed to retaliate.

Divisions over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), based in The Hague, have thrown the country into political turmoil and prompted fears of sectarian unrest.

'Innocent until proven guilty'

Rafik Hariri and 22 others were killed in February 2005 in central Beirut when a huge bomb went off as his motorcade passed by.

Continue reading the main story Owen Bennett-Jones BBC News, Beirut

The arrest warrants divide opinion in Lebanon. Many Lebanese want to know who killed Rafik Hariri. But the long years of delay in the international judicial process have made many people sceptical wondering whether the truth will ever come out.

Others believe that the constant vulnerability of Lebanon's political system means that stability is more important than justice. They question whether the tribunal process and the risks it entails are worth it.

There are also Lebanese - many of them Hezbollah supporters - who reject the tribunal outright, seeing it as a tool of Israel and the West to discredit enemies such as Syria and Hezbollah.

The newly installed government of Najib Mikati is well aware of the divergent views. And with Hezbollah a dominant force in the new government, handling the issue is going to be an early test of the new prime minister's political skills.

On Thursday, Lebanon's state prosecutor Saeed Mirza confirmed that he had received the indictments and four arrest warrants from an STL delegation in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his government would deal "responsibly and realistically" with the UN indictment, while "bearing in mind that these are accusations and not verdicts".

"All suspects are innocent until proven guilty," Mr Mikati told a news conference.

But the BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones in Beirut says the new prime minister is in a difficult position.

With Hezbollah now a strong force in the new Lebanese government, it is difficult to see how any arrests could be made, our correspondent says.

Thirty days

In a policy statement, the government said it would "follow the progress of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon... as long as it does not negatively affect Lebanon's stability and civil peace."

Continue reading the main story February 2005: Rafik Hariri is killed in a bombing in BeirutApril 2005: Syrian troops leave Lebanon after 29 years amid international pressure, despite Damascus denying any role in the killingJune 2007: UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) createdApril 2009: The STL orders the release of four Lebanese generals detained in 2005October 2010: Hezbollah urges all Lebanese to boycott the UN inquiry January 2011: Hezbollah forces collapse of government led by Saad Hariri, Rafik Hariri's son, after he refuses to stop co-operating with the tribunalHezbollah has denied always any role in the assassination. The group claims the tribunal is a plot involving the United States, Israel and France, and the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has threatened to cut the hand of anyone who tries to arrest Hezbollah members.

Saad Hariri - himself a former prime minister - described the indictment over his father's case as a milestone for the country.

"After many years of patience, of struggle... today, we witness a historic moment in Lebanese politics, justice and security," he said in a statement quoted by the AFP news agency.

He urged Lebanon's new Hezbollah-dominated government to live up to its international obligations.

Hezbollah forced the collapse of Saad Hariri's government in January after he refused to stop co-operating with the tribunal.

Mr Mikati has previously said that he would strive to uphold Lebanon's international obligations, but that he was also mindful of his responsibilities when it came to the country's stability.

According to tribunal officials, Lebanon now has 30 days to serve out the arrest warrants.

If the suspects are not arrested within that period, the STL will then make public the indictment and summon the suspects to appear before the court.

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