UNITED NATIONS, March 1 (UPI) -- A U.N. legal official and Lebanese judges ended three days of talks over the establishment of a tribunal to try those charged with killing former premier Rafik Hariri.
As a follow up to his visit to Lebanon last month, Nicolas Michel, undersecretary-general for legal affairs, met with Lebanese judges Ralph Riachi and Choukry Sader at U.N. World Headquarters in New York to discuss forming a court to try those charged with the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri.
"The meetings were substantive and detailed and were conducted in a positive and open manner," said a U.N. spokesman. "Both Michel and his Lebanese interlocutors believe that the discussions significantly advanced the mutual understanding of the international assistance needed to bring those responsible for Hariri's assassination to justice before a tribunal of an international character."
The U.N. International Independent Investigation Commission, headed by Serge Brammertz, began an investigation last spring after Hariri and 22 others were killed when a Mitsubishi Canter truck carrying explosives exploded near Hariri's motorcade in Beirut Feb. 14, 2005.
After his death, Hariri's political allies and family openly accused Syria and its Lebanese allies of killing the former leader.
The U.N. commission has said evidence points to involvement by both countries. Syria has denied any involvement in Hariri's assassination.
The United Nations continues its investigation, which is expected to end in June and is helping to assemble a tribunal at the request of the Lebanese government.
