The United Nations announced the closure of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which had been investigating the February 14, 2005, attack in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others. The Tribunal will cease its operations from December 31, 2023.
The STL, established following a request from the Lebanese government to the UN, began its operations on March 1, 2009. Its primary mandate was to try those accused of the 2005 attack. The Tribunal’s mandate was initially set for three years but was extended several times to allow the completion of its work. The STL conducted trials in absentia and convicted Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, and Hussein Hassan Oneissi for their roles in the attack, sentencing them to five concurrent sentences of life imprisonment.
The establishment of the STL followed a complex political process. The UN Security Council implemented the agreement to establish the Tribunal through Resolution 1757 on May 30, 2007, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, due to a political impasse in Lebanon. The Tribunal was based near The Hague in the Netherlands and applied Lebanese criminal law in its proceedings.
A completion plan, agreed upon by the United Nations and the Government of Lebanon, will guide the STL during its final mandate period to ensure the completion of the Tribunal’s residual functions, including the preservation of the records and archives of the STL, responding to requests for information, and ensuring the protection and support of victims and witnesses.
The closure of the STL marks the end of a significant chapter in Lebanon’s history and international justice, reflecting the complexities of prosecuting international crimes and the efforts to bring justice in the aftermath of political violence.
The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 had a profound and lasting impact on Lebanon’s political landscape. Hariri’s assassination led to a significant shift in the country’s dynamics, particularly regarding the influence of Hezbollah and Syria.
Post-assassination, Lebanon saw a rise in public discontent against Syrian occupation, which had been a dominant force in Lebanese politics for decades. However, the departure of Syrian forces created a power vacuum that Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, quickly filled. Hezbollah’s influence expanded significantly, and it became a dominant force in Lebanese politics, being criticized by some as Lebanon’s new occupying power.
The legacy of Rafik Hariri also remains significant in the Lebanese social and political fabric. Hariri, known for his substantial contributions to the country’s reconstruction and development, altered the traditional political leadership in Beirut and Lebanon. His approach to politics and leadership differed from the norm, focusing on developing people and communities across sects and social strata.
