Raad: Bellemare’s Demands Represent Biggest Piracy- Custody Operation Recent Lebanon Faces
During the conference, Raad reminded of the previous occasions and press conferences concerning the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, where the resistance explained the formation and the rules of procedure of the STL saying "We proved it (STL) as illegitimate, and unconstitutional, and proved it is made upon international interests which over passed the will and interests of the Lebanese and their constitutional institutions; also proved it is a politicized tribunal and has all elements of discretion and does not abide by the highest standards of justice."
MP Raad said that the demand comes upon allegation that the current investigation related to the assassination of former PM martyr Rafik Hariri and his colleagues. These were objected by the concerned ministers and raised many questions among most of the Lebanese on the legitimacy of these demands, as well as reinforced suspicions concerning the justifications and goals as these (demands) are related to detailed information on every citizen in Lebanon and violates his personal rights which are supposedly protected by virtue of the constitution. This also leads to the violation of the nation and its people.
He further added that some tried to picture the fulfillment of these demands as postulate, and considered those taking their time in fulfilling these demands as dissidents from the country and from international legitimacy, despite the fact that these demands come after six years to the crime, and that the indictment has been already delivered, also despite the historical moment of talks and changes Lebanon and the region witness. All the aforementioned reinforce the incredulity and politicization of the investigation.
So that the Lebanese people would not fall prey for the misguidance, and the belittlement of their rights, as well as the violation of their privacy under any allegation, MP Raad said, as a parliamentary bloc and as representatives to the proud and free people he saw it is important to display the reality of this case and demonstrate the bloc's stance.
Raad also added "We concluded that such a tribunal does not await us to realize any justice or right, in fact we will not be surprised this tribunal paves the way for international custodies over Lebanon, its security, stability, and sovereignty. Every day, we as well as the majority of the Lebanese people following on this issue only become more certain of the accuracy of this evaluation.
What we are to comment on now, will increase our certainty of the correctness of our stance on this tribunal, regardless of our conviction that the tribunal as well as all its procedures and issuances are illegitimate. The information the STL general prosecutor demands contradicts with the rules of procedure on one part, and with the memorandum of understanding of which he (Bellemare) claims to abide by on another. Also, he goes too far in violating the principle of national sovereignty while making light of it."
He said the international investigators had access to all telecommunications data from 2003 (cellphones, pay cards, ogero subscribers), the university files of all students from 2003 till 2006, eye scans and fingerprints of detains at the ISF. copies of passports from the SG, data of all subscribers at the 'electricite du liban;' in addition to hundreds of files from geography, traffic departments, the central bank, ministry of labor, hospitals, casino du Liban and others.
"The request of Bellemare for fingerprints of 4 million people means that he will need the fingerprints of the President, the Speaker, the nuns and priests. It will require the fingerprints of the military officers and their families, and this this is unacceptable to the Lebanese population," he criticized.
He also criticized the possibility of a UN Security Council resolution-under the auspices of Chapter 7 of the organization's charter-obliging Lebanon to comply with the information requests, saying seeking such a resolution would be "irresponsible and unpatriotic because it affects all the Lebanese."
Raad, asked some questions of doubt, he said: "Why does the investigation needs all this data about the whole Lebanese population?" "Why does the office of Bellemare need this data after he passed the indictment to Judge Francin?" "Who guarantees that this data will not be leaked like other investigations were leaked?" "Who guarantees that this data will not be given to "Israel"? As people from various nationalities work for the STL and some have links to US intelligence," he explained.
He pointed out that the US has been trying to request access to specific and private data of the Lebanese population, and by coincidence the STL calls for the same data.
"This is the largest of all custody and piracy operations in Lebanon's recent history," he accused. Raad hailed the Lebanese ministers who refused to hand the data and called on all Lebanese citizens and officials not to cooperate with the STL requests."
