STL President Thanks Aoun for Lebanon's 'Continuous Support' for Court

The President and Vice President of the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Judge Ivana Hrdličková and Judge Ralph Riachi, on Tuesday visited President Michel Aoun to congratulate him on his election as Lebanon's 13th president, an STL statement said.

“I am honored to meet with President Michel Aoun and I thank him for the continuous support of Lebanon to the work of the STL," Hrdličková said.

During the meeting, she stressed that "the Tribunal is for Lebanon and for the Lebanese people,” telling Aoun that the “STL is an independent, fair and impartial institution working with the highest professional standards of international justice."

“As the President of the STL I am determined to promote the values of efficiency, transparency and accountability,” Hrdličková added.

Justice Minister Salim Jreissati and Prosecutor General Samir Hammoud attended the meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda.

The STL was set up in 2007 to try suspects charged with the murder of former premier Rafik Hariri, who was killed with 22 others in a massive suicide truck bombing on the Beirut waterfront on February 14, 2005.

The tribunal later established jurisdiction over three attacks relating to MP Marwan Hamadeh, former Lebanese Communist Party chief George Hawi and former defense minister Elias Murr, deeming them of similar nature to Hariri's assassination.

Five suspected members of Hizbullah have been indicted by the court over Hariri's murder. The party has slammed the court as an American-Israeli scheme and vowed that the suspects will never be found.

A trial in absentia opened in January 2014, but despite international warrants for their arrest, the Hizbullah suspects are yet to appear in court.