BEIRUT: The court investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is expected to issue its indictment, naming five Hezbollah members, in the next few days, pan-Arab newspapers reported Monday.

Al-Hayat newspaper, quoting a Western source in Paris, said Lebanese judicial authorities would receive a text of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indictment either Monday or Tuesday.

The move coincides with a confirmation last week by French sources that the indictment will be issued this week.

Meanwhile, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, citing well-informed sources, said five Hezbollah members will be named in the indictment.

It said the STL is about to submit a request to the Lebanese government for the interrogation of the group’s members. The sources, however, confirmed that their names will be kept confidential for a limited period before identifying them.

The newspaper also reported that the indictment is likely to be issued in the coming two days.

Al-Hayat said the confirmation by the Western source also coincides with an unannounced journey to The Hague by Lebanese judges who are part of the tribunal’s trial chamber.

The newspaper reported that the remaining STL judges, both staff and reserve, left Beirut Sunday for the STL headquarters in The Hague. Lebanese official sources, however, say the move is a precautionary measure to provide personal protection to the judges.

Other Lebanese sources, meanwhile, refused to link the announcement of the indictment with the delay in the government’s policy statement over the STL.

The sources said that none of Lebanon’s top government leaders had any official information as to when the indictment would be issued.