BEIRUT: Public Prosecutor Saeed Mirza said Wednesday “huge” amounts of work still had to be done to prepare the cases of those involved in the 2007 Nahr al-Bared clashes, and that trials will not take place any time soon.

During a visit to Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail Wednesday, Mirza said he was still preparing the casework of those accused of involvement in the armed clashes between members of Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese Army in the northern Palestinian refugee camp, in which over 400 people were killed.

Once completed, Mirza said he would then send the cases to Investigative Judge Ghassan Oweidat for indictments to be issued. The Public Prosecutor’s office will then notify those individuals indicted.

“Notification measures will take a long time ... and trials cannot start before completing these notification measures,” Mirza said.

Relatives of the at least 123 Nahr al-Bared detainees often hold demonstrations demanding their release and urging that their trials be hastened.

Separately, Mirza is to tour Roumieh prison Friday where he will discuss means to alleviate living conditions in the country’s largest prison, the Central News Agency reported Wednesday.

The move comes as Interior Minister Marwan Charbel endeavors to improve the situation in the prison and to speed up trials.