Leidschendam, Naharnet Exclusive:

The arguments of the representative of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor, lawyer Lain Morley, during a hearing on Friday unveiled that the prosecution’s strategy at this stage lies on delaying in absentia trials in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination case for a period of three months for several reasons.

Naharnet Exclusive Report – Leidschendam:

The arguments of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s Defense Office, voiced on Friday by office chief Francois Roux and his deputy, lawyer Alia Aoun, intersected with the information published Thursday by Naharnet about the presence of disputes among the defense counsels on how to deal with the STL.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon Victims’ Participation Unit stressed on Friday that the trial of the suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri should not start without the participation of the victims who were affected in the crime.

A representative of the unit said during an STL court hearing in The Hague that the trials cannot begin without the victims, saying that there are several victims who are waiting for the tribunal to extend its hands and help them.

The head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Defense Office Francois Roux demanded on Friday that the arrest warrants against the four accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri be eliminated.

He said during a hearing at the STL headquarters in The Hague: “The issuance of arrest warrants has led to the accused being unable or unwilling to appear freely here in accordance with the provisions of the STL’s Rules of Evidence and Procedure.”

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday asked the rival March 14 camp to accept Lebanon’s possible suspension of funds to the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon the same as “most of the March 14 forces did not comment on the issue of (the U.S.) suspending UNESCO funds.”

In a televised speech commemorating Hizbullah’s Martyr Day, Nasrallah said “it is useful to notice that the UNESCO, which is an international organization, has acknowledged the state of Palestine, drawing the United States’ anger because it has granted Palestine some of its rights.”

A Lebanese man had a leg blown off Friday after stepping on a mine planted hours earlier by Syrian troops along Lebanon's northern border, local and hospital officials said.

"Imad Khaled Oweyshi was crossing the border from Syria back into Lebanon when he stepped on the mine," a local official who requested anonymity told AFP.

Seven rights groups have demanded that an investigation be launched in allegations that suspected Israeli spy, Tareq al-Rabaa, had been subject to torture while in custody.

They said in a statement that Rabaa was tortured while he was at the Defense Ministry on July 12, 2010, where he was being held for investigation.

Prosecutors at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon asked the court on Friday to summon Lebanese officials to The Hague to hear from them about their powers in the implementation of arrest warrants against four Hizbullah suspects in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination.

During a hearing held at the STL headquarters, Prosecution trial lawyer Iain Morley told three judges and two alternate judges, that “there is an opportunity to assist Lebanese authorities to hearing from them as to what their powers are.”

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon Trial Chamber will make a decision in due course on whether in absentia proceedings should begin in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination case, the STL said on Friday.

The Trial Chamber’s decision would be based on the oral submissions at a hearing held on Friday, the written submissions that were filed by the Prosecution and Defense Office earlier this month and the filings from the Pre Trial judge.

A high-ranking military source has stressed that no Syrian activists have been kidnapped in Lebanon only saying that the General Security Department had arrested Syrian nationals on criminal charges.

“Based on Lebanese Army reports, there are no kidnapped Syrians in Lebanon and the Intelligence Branches in the areas haven’t recorded any case of kidnapping,” the source told An Nahar daily published Friday.