Russia Says STL Must Help Lebanon’s Stability, Boost Democracy

The Russian foreign ministry said that it will hold onto its stance calling for revealing the truth behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and “punishing the guilty.”

“Russia has offered its support to the international tribunal since its establishment” in 2007, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The ministry noted that “objectivity” and “transparency” are the basis of a "reputable" and “non-politicized” investigation into Hariri’s Feb. 2005 murder.

“All this must secure justice and help create a democratic development in a sovereign and a stable Lebanon amid civil peace and local consensus,” it said.

The Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon has issued arrest warrants for four members of Hizbullah in connection with the Hariri assassination.