Bellemare Explains to Fransen Why Disclosing Documents to Sayyed May Harm Probe

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has submitted to STL Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen a confidential report explaining why disclosing documents to Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed "could amongst other things prejudice ongoing or future investigations or could put people's lives at risk," STL's press office said Friday.

"The Special Tribunal for Lebanon can confirm that the Prosecutor submitted a confidential and ex parte application to the Pre-Trial Judge on March 10, 2011," the press office said in a communiqué.

"The filing, which relates to documents that Mr. Sayyed alleges are connected to his detention in Lebanon, was ordered by the Pre-Trial Judge on February 7, 2011," it clarified.

Bellemare was asked to provide reasons why he had said in a previous filing that the release of investigation documents "could amongst other things prejudice ongoing or future investigations or could put people's lives at risk."

Fransen is currently studying Bellemare's application and will rule on it in due course, according to STL's communiqué.