BEIRUT: The Head of Defense Office of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) assigned Thursday a permanent counsel to the four members of Hezbollah accused of involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“The Trial Chamber decided that the accused will be tried in absentia. Today the Pre-Trial Judge requested the assignment of counsel,” the STL said in a statement Thursday.
"The Head of Defense Office assigned the eight counsel that were previously assigned as duty counsel,” it added.
The prosecutor is now required to disclose the indictment supporting materials to the counsel within 30 working days.
STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare resigned due to health issues last year and paid a farewell trip to Lebanon last week.
On Wednesday, the STL handed down a historic decision to try the four suspects in absentia trials
The four members of Hezbollah who were indicted last summer – Salim Jamil Ayyash, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, Hussein Hasan Oneissi and Assad Hasan Sabra – remain at large.