STL President Orders Alternative Service of the Indictment against Ayyash

The President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Judge Ivana Hrdličková, has ordered today that the service of the indictment against Salim Jamil Ayyash relating to the attacks against Marwan Hamade, Georges Hawi and Elias El- Murr (Prosecutor v. Salim Jamil Ayyash, Case No. STL‑18‑10), be effected in an alternative manner, including through public advertisement, the STL said in a press release on Monday.

This follows the President’s finding that reasonable attempts have been made by the Lebanese authorities to effect personal service on the accused in this case, and those efforts have been unsuccessful to date.

Specifically, Judge Ivana Hrdličková orders the STL Registrar to provide a form of public advertisement to the Lebanese authorities; and the Lebanese authorities to take all reasonable steps to provide notification to the public of the existence of the indictment and call upon Ayyash to surrender to the Tribunal or in any case to submit to its jurisdiction.

Additionally, the Registrar is ordered to consider other means of disseminating the indictment for this purpose, including in the media and social media. Both the Lebanese authorities and the Registrar are required to report back on the results of their efforts.

The Lebanese authorities have the continuing obligation to search for, serve, arrest and detain Ayyash, and to transfer him to the seat of the Tribunal.

If within 30 days from the start of the advertisement of the indictment the accused is not under the Tribunal’s authority, the Pre-Trial Judge shall ask the Trial Chamber to initiate proceedings in absentia.