BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Hezbollah is the target of a smear campaign by a tribunal investing a former Lebanese prime minister's death, Hezbollah's secretary-general said.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon unsealed its indictment against four members of Hezbollah accused of plotting and carrying out the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut. Another 21 people also died in the bomb attack.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, in statements published by his organization's al-Manar news division, said the tribunal revealed nothing new because most of the indictment had been leaked to the media in July.
"This indictment only boosts our confidence today that what is happening is a high level of injustice and politicization and these honorable members of the resistance should not even be described as accused," he added.
The tribunal advised Beirut it would take further steps to bring the accused to trial after Lebanese authorities reported no luck in finding the suspects. The tribunal in a statement said it opted to order "a form of advertisement" to radio, television and Internet seeking more information and "calling upon the accused to surrender to the tribunal or in any case to submit to its jurisdiction."
The names of the accused are: Salim Jamil Ayyash, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, Hussein Hassan Ainessi and Assad Hassan Sabra.
