Lebanon Tribunal Unanimously Finds Ayyash Guilty of 2005 Attack on Former Prime Minister [1]
On August 18, 2020, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon pronounced its judgment [3] (see also a summary [4] of the judgment) in Ayyash et al. The case concerned the February 14, 2005, attack against the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri who, along with 21 others, was killed by explosives. The Trial Chamber unanimously found the accused, Salim Jamil Ayyash, guilty of five offenses, including conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and the intentional homicide of Mr. Hariri. The other three accused persons were found not guilty. According to a press release [5] from the Tribunal, the Trial Chamber considered the evidence of 297 witnesses and 3,135 exhibits. The judgment is accompanied by the separate opinions of Judges Re and Nosworthy, a declaration by Judge Re on fair trial aspects of the defense of one of the accused who was found not guilty, and a dissenting opinion of Judge Braidy, who registered her “disagreement” with “the majority’s decision to analyse Mr Badreddine’s role and make legal findings, specifically with regard to whether he was a co-conspirator.”