Syrian linked to Hariri plot in UAE court

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- A Syrian official linked to the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri appeared in court in Abu Dhabi on passport violations.

Mohammad Zuhair al-Siddiq, arrested in April, faced a court in Abu Dhabi on charges he used fake documents from the Czech Republic to enter the United Arab Emirates, Gulf News reported.

Authorities believe Siddiq is linked to a report from the United Nations that blames Syria for its alleged role in the 2005 assassination in Beirut.

A massive car bomb struck the Hariri convoy in downtown Beirut in February 2005, killing the former premier and several others.

Damascus maintains it played no role in the assassination. The Syrian government as well as the U.N. commission examining the issue discredited Siddiq. Both the Syrian and Lebanese governments seek his arrest for misleading investigators, however.

Fahd al-Sabhan, his lawyer in the Abu Dhabi case, said his client assumed U.A.E. officials knew he had entered the country, though officials confirmed his documents were faked.