UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for the arrest of suspects named in the indictment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and expressed his continuing support for the Tribunal's work.
The indictment was handed over to Lebanese authorities earlier in the day, dpa reported.
The indictment names four people as suspects in the 2005 murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
An envoy from the tribunal gave Lebanon's Supreme Court prosecutor general the indictment document, which also requested the government to arrest the individuals, whose names were not divulged.
Ban said the contents of the indictment were not shared with the UN.
Ban noted that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was an independent court of law established at the request of the government of Lebanon, with a clear mandate from the UN Security Council.
He said Beirut has been required to "locate, arrest, detain and transfer the accused persons to the tribunal."
"The secretary general reiterates his strong support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and for its efforts to uncover the truth and send a message that impunity will not be tolerated," Ban said in the statement.
He called for all states to support the independent judicial process and cooperate with the tribunal in the execution of the indictment and arrest warrants.
"The secretary general expects the new government of Lebanon to uphold all of Lebanon's international obligations and to cooperate with the Special Tribunal," Ban said.
...