BEIRUT: Lebanon must continue to report to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) until the four Hezbollah suspects indicted in the 2005 assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri are arrested, a spokesperson for the STL told The Daily Star Friday.

“The Lebanese prosecutor general is required to continue to report on a monthly basis until the accused are arrested,” the spokesperson said in reference to an August announcement by STL President Antonio Cassese who called on Lebanese authorities to intensify their attempts to arrest the suspects.

In the Aug. 18 statement, Cassese said Lebanon’s State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza was “now required to report to the tribunal on a monthly basis.”

In June, the STL issued an indictment against four Hezbollah members, accusing them of involvement in the Hariri assassination.

Hezbollah denies the charges against its members and has vowed not to cooperate with the U.N.-backed court.

The STL spokesperson said Lebanon would have to continue to report to the Special Tribunal even if trials in absentia have begun. The official stressed, however, that the decision to proceed to trials in absentia was one for the Trial Chamber alone.

“In the meantime, and until the accused are arrested, the Lebanese authorities are still required to fulfill their obligations with respect to the arrest and transfer of the four accused,” the spokesperson added.

In response to a question about whether the indictment has supplementary material that has not been disclosed in order to protect the witnesses and the investigation, the spokesperson said:

“When the prosecutor submitted the indictment to the Pre-Trial Judge for confirmation, he also submitted materials supporting it, which … allowed the Pre-Trial Judge to rule on whether there is prima facie evidence that a case is within the jurisdiction of the tribunal.”

He said this information remains confidential as revealing it in public could “adversely impact on the ongoing investigation, and could endanger victims and witnesses.”

In the run-up to the trial, the spokesperson explains that there will be extensive preparations by all parties, which will include the disclosure of evidence by the prosecutor to the defense, the preparation of pre-trial briefs by both the prosecutor and by the defense team.

The pre-trial judge also has to prepare a comprehensive dossier for transmission to the trial chamber, in addition to overseeing the participation of victims in proceedings, according to the spokesperson.