Fransen Orders Release of More Than 270 Probe Documents to Sayyed

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen has ordered that STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare release more than 270 documents to Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, Lebanon’s former General Security chief, STL’s press office said Thursday.

“Fransen ruled that Mr. Sayyed would receive some of the documents in the possession of the STL Prosecutor very soon. A large majority of these will be disclosed to Mr. Sayyed, whilst others can only be inspected by his counsel,” the press office clarified in a communiqué.

Fransen also ruled that these documents can only be used for “legitimate purposes,” the press office said, noting that the use of these documents “must respect the presumption of innocence, the right of the defense and the right to privacy of third parties.”

Sayyed was one of four Lebanese generals detained by the Lebanese authorities in connection with the 2005 assassination of then prime minister Rafik Hariri and others. He was released in April 2009, just weeks after the establishment of the STL, following an order by Judge Fransen.

Sayyed has claimed that he was wrongly detained by the Lebanese authorities on the basis of libelous denunciations. He had asked the STL for access to some investigation documents so that he can pursue civil claims in national courts.

“This process has taken some time. First the Prosecutor identified and listed several hundred documents in his possession and then the Pre-Trial Judge has individually reviewed each of them before reaching his decision,” STL’s press office noted in its communiqué.

“Fransen has ordered the Prosecutor to file a report by June 13th that explains how he has completed the obligations required in this decision,” the press office added.

The Pre-Trial Judge has also ordered the Prosecutor to review some additional documents, which may be released to Sayyed in the future, according to STL’s press office.