Raad with Assistance of Judicial Expert: STL Violated Constitution, Lebanese Sovereignty

Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad held a press conference, with judicial expert Judge Salim Jraisati, in which they addressed the legal aspects and constitutional flaws of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).

Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc MP Mohammad Raad stressed that "establishing a special tribunal violated both the Lebanese and International laws, as well as violated Lebanese sovereignty."

Raad said that "the international community has encouraged an illegitimate government to achieve de facto authority," considering "The the international will violated the national will by acknowledging the law of the STL, which was to fulfill the interests of major countries regardless of Lebanon's interests. Thus, the tribunal becomes a tool used to serve political interests of the major countries of influence." 

Moreover, MP Raad underscored that "the STL violated the Lebanon and its constitution, and was approved by an illegitimate government without ratification according to the Lebanese constitution." He added that "the draft of the STL was not signed by the Lebanese president or by the Lebanese parliament," noting "hence, this constitutes a requisition to the authority of the President of the Republic by the government, which is illegitimate in first place."

Raad moved on to discuss the media leaks, noting "there are political motives behind the deliberate Western and Arab media leaks" of which the latest was the CBC report. 

He explained that the "Media leaks and statements which dealt with the investigation since the assassination until now are not spontaneous and violate the confidentiality of the investigation.
Raad also questioned "Why was Syria accused in the beginning and then the course of the investigation was changed? On which Lebanese security apparatus do the investigators depend on and cooperate with? What is the "Israeli" role in the investigation? Does the Court take "Israel's" statements? This is what we presented the Court with.

Hizbullah MP further pointed out that "Pursuing the false witnesses' issue will give the investigation credibility, especially since it focuses only on phone calls as evidence."
On the false witnesses' issue, Raad went on to say that "article 28 of the political system annexed to resolution 1757 states the International tribunal shall be guided by international justice," wondering "What justice is that where false witnesses enjoy immunity and are not pursued?" 

Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc emphasized that "The team of the general prosecutor Judge Daniel Bellemare worked hard to find legal opinions to justify leaving the false witnesses rather than pursuing them."