BEIRUT: Future Movement leader Saad Hariri held talks in Riyadh Wednesday with a delegation from the March 14 coalition, in which he said the U.N.-backed court probing the assassination of his father was the concern of all Lebanese.

Local media Thursday said Hariri held lunch in honor of the delegation, which had traveled to Riyadh to offer condolences over the death of Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz.

During the talks Hariri said the court probing the 2005 assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was the concern of everybody, and not just one specific sect.

“The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an issue that concerns all the Lebanese and not only one political group or one religious sect,” Hariri told the delegation, made up of around 30 MPs, plus other political and religious figures.

He said that the STL was established “in search of truth and justice to root out political assassinations in Lebanon and end the era of forcefully imposing political decisions and the use of terrorism as a means to punish political opponents.”

He also reiterated the need for “solidarity in the face of challenges, particularly with regard to Lebanon’s obligations toward the international tribunal.”

According to the daily Al-Nahar Thursday, among the issues addressed was Hariri’s absence from Lebanon since last spring.

The former prime minister, who was ousted in January after ministers backed by the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition resigned, explained that his absence was due to “security and other considerations,” without elaborating.

Following the collapse of Hariri’s Cabinet, Prime Minister Najib Mikati was named to head the current government, which is dominated by Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance lawmakers.

As to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s crackdown on anti-regime protesters, Hariri outright said he supports the “revolution.”

“What is going on in Syria in terms of suppression is absolutely not acceptable,” Hariri said..

Hariri also lauded the role played by Saudi Arabia, led by King Abdullah, in support of Lebanon.

“Our presence together here to offer condolences over the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz aims to express the deep links that exist between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, and pay tribute to the great deceased, who loved Lebanon and was very attached to its stability and to the unity of its citizens,” he said.